Destiny Rewritten
by Lauriverfanboy1
Summary: I got this idea after watching Elseworlds. How might things have changed if Oliver's arrow didn't just destroy the book of destiny? What if it also did one more rewrite to reality? As in reset reality back to 7 years ago, when Oliver first returned home from Lian Yu. How might things have turned out different for him if he suddenly got a do over and he was the only one who knew it.
1. Chapter 1

**I got this idea after watching Elseworlds. How might things have changed if Oliver's arrow didn't just destroy the book of destiny? What if it also did one more rewrite to reality? As in reset reality back to 7 years ago, when Oliver first returned home from Lian Yu. How might things have turned out different for him if he suddenly got a do over and he was the only one who realized it? This story will contain some elements from my Frosty Arrow fic. And now enjoy Destiny Rewritten.**

* * *

Oliver was holding up his arrow as he watched Deegan hold up the book of destiny at him and he silently wished for a moment that he'd been the one the Monitor had given the book to. There were so many things he would've changed. But now he knew what he had to do.

He aimed let his arrow fly and it hit the book of destiny, causing a huge explosion that sent everyone flying back. Before Oliver's vision went dark, he saw what almost looked like one last shift in reality.

* * *

When Oliver came to, he found that he wasn't outside Star Labs anymore. Actually, he wasn't even sure he was in Central City anymore. He was lying on a hospital bed in Star City.

"Where am I?" Oliver asked, trying to make sense of things.

"Mr. Queen, you're awake." Dr. Lamb said as he approached him.

"Yeah, but how did I get here?" Oliver asked, confused.

"You were sent here the moment you got off the plane from Hong Kong to be checked up on for your injuries following your rescue from Lian Yu." Dr. Lamb said and now it was beginning to make sense to Oliver. Somehow, when his arrow had hit the book of destiny, it had also caused one last change to reality. He'd been sent back 7 years in time, to the day he'd returned from Lian Yu.

Unfortunately, that meant his father was still dead, but nearly everyone else was still alive. His mom, Tommy, Samantha, Quentin and Laurel. That was the one who'd weighed the heaviest on his heart. While he had loved Felicity, after he'd come back from Slabside, he'd begun to realize that maybe they were just better off as friends, not as a couple. Besides, he what he felt for Laurel was much stronger than anything he'd ever felt for Felicity and he was not going to waste it this time.

"Is my mother here?" Oliver asked.

"She's waiting outside." Dr. Lamb confirmed.

"Can I see her?" Oliver asked and Dr. Lamb nodded as he walked out and returned a minute later with his mother and Oliver couldn't stop the tears coming to his eyes as he saw Moira Queen, alive and well, standing in front of him.

"Hi mom." Oliver said, choked up.

"Oliver." Moira said, tears coming to her own eyes and she rushed up to him and hugged him, tears welling from her eyes.

"I missed you so much." Oliver said as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, silently swearing to himself that he'd kill Slade if he had to in order to keep her alive.

"I missed you more." Moira said and Oliver smiled, feeling more alive then he had in years. He had a second chance. He wasn't going to waste it.

* * *

When they returned to the mansion, Oliver smiled that they still had the mansion, he looked at the photos on the table.

"You remarried?" Oliver asked his mother, looking at a wedding photo of her and Walter.

"Yes, I was going to tell you but." Moira said and Oliver just smiled.

"Mom, I'm happy that you were able to move on. Dad would've wanted you to be happy. But I am hurt you didn't think I could handle it. After 5 years in hell, I think I can handle anything." Oliver said.

"I suppose so. I just didn't know how you'd react." Moira said as Walter joined them.

"Oliver, it's good to see you again." Walter said as they shook hands.

"You to Walter. You mind your manners around my mom." Oliver said with a slight smile and they both laughed.

"Now, there's one other person I'm surprised I haven't seen yet." Oliver said and no sooner did he say that did he hear footsteps behind him and he turned to see Thea standing at the top of stairs and Oliver smiled, since not only did she look younger, she looked happier. Free of all the darkness Oliver knew she would suffer soon if he didn't stop it. And he would.

"Hey sis." Oliver said.

"I knew it. I knew you were still alive." Thea said as she ran towards and her brother and hugged him.

"I missed you so much." Thea said.

"You were with me the whole time." Oliver assured her.

* * *

When Oliver entered his old room, he was only half surprised when he found himself back in the Monitor's realm.

"Do you like my gift Oliver Queen?" the Monitor asked.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"The arrow I gave you was not only designed to destroy the book of destiny, but also to let you shape reality as you see fit, though this was change that cannot be undone, as I did it to ensure the balance would be maintained." the Monitor said.

"Why?" Oliver asked.

"It was clear that while your earth had potential, it did not have enough time to prepare for the crisis that is coming. So I gave you the power to make sure it did have time. You are the only one aware of this change and it is not only this earth affected." the Monitor said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"Since people from Supergirl's earth were here during the shift, it inadvertently caused the two earths to fuse together. Fortunately, since it was caused by a shift in reality, no one realizes it." the Monitor said.

"So Kara, Clark, Alex, they're all inhabitants of this earth now?" Oliver asked.

"Indeed. The greatest heroes of the multiverse now stand united on a single earth thanks to you." the Monitor said.

"Why let me do that?" Oliver asked.

"You claim that you are not the hero your world needs. Well now I've given you a chance to become the hero it needs. You are welcome. Enjoy the chance I've given you Oliver Queen. There will not be another." The monitor said as suddenly, Oliver found himself back in his old room, trying to process what he'd just learned.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Oliver came downstairs for breakfast to find another old face waiting for him.

"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver said with a grin as he hugged his best friend.

"Oliver Queen. What did I tell you man. Yachts suck." Tommy said and Oliver laughed.

"True. But anyways, what brings you here?" Oliver asked.

"My best friend came back from the dead and your mom's 24 hour ban on anyone besides family visiting you expired." Tommy said.

"You wouldn't let anyone else into the mansion for a whole day?" Oliver asked his mom.

"That was more to keep people like Sara's father out, since he's going to be furious." Moira said.

"It's no so much Quentin Lance I'm afraid of as much as I am his daughter." Oliver said.

"Yeah, I'm surprised that Laurel hasn't stormed up here to kill you yet." Tommy said.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna wait for her to come to me, instead of going to her." Oliver said.

"Probably a smart move." Walter said.

"So, Oliver, any plans now that you're back?" Moira asked.

"I think I'm gonna start looking for my own place. I love you mom, but I think it's time I left the nest." Oliver said and he could tell his mother was actually a bit relieved to hear that.

"I see you found some maturity on the island." Moira said and Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, I did. And I also realized that I don't want to work with the company. I don't have the background for it. Queen Consolidated needs someone who is passionate about the business to run it and that isn't me." Oliver said, taking Moira aback.

"Are you sure about this Oliver?" Moira asked and Oliver nodded.

"I never really expressed much interest in working with Queen Consolidated before. That hasn't changed." Oliver said and Moira nodded, knowing that he was right.

"So, you want to hit the town?" Tommy asked.

"Maybe later. I just got home, not interested in getting into anymore trouble quite yet." Oliver said and Tommy looked slightly disappointed.

"I promise, once things have calmed down a bit, we'll hit the town." Oliver promised and Tommy sighed.

"Let me know when." Tommy said.

"Will do." Oliver said as Tommy headed out and Oliver was surprised at who came in as he left.

"Laurel." Oliver said.

"I'm kind of surprised you didn't come to see me at work." Laurel said and Oliver had to admit, she looked even more beautiful then he remembered, since Black Siren was not his Laurel.

"I didn't know what to say. There's no apology I can give that can truly make up for what I did. I honestly thought that I was the last person you'd want to see." Oliver said and Walter and Moira took that as their cue to leave.

"You're right, there's nothing you can say or do that make up for what you did. But you can start by answering a question." Laurel said.

"Shoot." Oliver said.

"Why did you do it? Dad has many theories and I have a few of my own, but I'd like to know what possible reason you could've had for taking Sara on that boat." Laurel said.

"I did it because I wasn't ready for what you wanted and you couldn't see that. I was a lot of things, but at least I was never delusional about our relationship. You might have been ready for the next stage Laurel, but I wasn't. I'm not trying to shift the blame to you, I take full responsibility for my own choices, but anyone else could've seen that I wasn't ready to move in together yet. Did I want that eventually, yes I did, but you were pushing for too much too soon." Oliver said, honestly wishing he'd given her this speech the first time around.

"You took my sister on that boat because you weren't ready to commit like I was?" Laurel asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry Laurel, but I couldn't tell you know, so instead I sabotaged our relationship in the worse way I could think of. I'm sorry for that and I am sorry for what happened to Sara. And I have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life. Along with everything else I've suffered for the past 5 years." Oliver said, taking Laurel aback as she start to feel to her anger at him, anger that she'd been harboring for 5 years, start to fade away slowly, while it was still there, she was beginning to realize that maybe Oliver had suffered enough for what he did. He clearly wasn't the same man who she'd kissed goodbye on the Star City docks 5 years ago.

"What happened to you?" Laurel asked.

"Hell. That island is called purgatory for a reason Laurel. I had to change to survive." Oliver said as Laurel cautiously approached him, still not ready to forgive him yet, but maybe she could start to heal.

"Is there anything left of the man I knew?" Laurel asked.

"Some parts. Just not sure if they were the good ones." Oliver said.

"There were good parts?" Laurel asked and they both laughed.

"I really am sorry about Sara. If I could trade places with her, I would." Oliver said, despite knowing that Sara was alive and well in Nanda Parbat and he was already trying to figure out how to lure her back to the city.

"I know. Even from only one conversation with you, I can tell you're a different person. Maybe even better than you were before. But I guess only time will tell if that's true." Laurel said.

"Can you do me a favor and try to convince your dad not to shoot me." Oliver said.

"I will if you answer one more question." Laurel said.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"Is there any chance Sara could've survived?" Laurel asked and Oliver sighed, deciding he was going to break his promise to Sara.

"I don't know." Oliver said.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"Sara and I were separated in the accident. It was dark and the water was everywhere, I thought she was dead, but then again, I thought the same thing about myself and yet here I am." Oliver said.

"So, there's a chance she's alive?" Laurel asked.

"I doubt it. Even if she did survive initial accident, she would've drifting out at sea." Oliver said regretfully.

"I'll see you around Oliver." Laurel said, walking away from him.

"That went better than I thought it would." Oliver said as his mother entered the room.

"How did you think it would go?" Moira asked.

"She'd inflict some kind of bodily harm on me." Oliver said and Moira nodded.

"Fair point." Moira sighed.

"Now I'm gonna go do some apartment hunting." Oliver said.

"Let me know if you need any help." Moira said.

"Will do, but mom, when I get back, we need to talk about Thea." Oliver said as he headed out himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver found a penthouse in the city that he liked. It was relatively isolated, meaning that no one would notice his movements as the Green Arrow and the terrace would also make it easy for him to get in and out undetected with his cable arrows. Also, it had plenty of space and it gave him a good view of the city. He could do a lot with this.

"So, mom, what do you think?" Oliver asked his mother and Walter walked around the penthouse, since it was technically their money he'd be spending on this place.

"I think that if you're moving out of home, this place is an excellent choice Oliver. However much you need to buy it is yours and we'll help you furnish it." Moira said.

"Thank you. While you're here, I actually have something I wanted to talk to you about." Oliver said.

"What is it?" Walter asked.

"I want to open a nightclub." Oliver said.

"That's actually not a bad idea Oliver. You spent so much time on the club scene when you were younger that no one knows it better than you." Moira said.

"Yeah, I just need to find a place to put it." Oliver said, since while the foundry would've been ideal if it was just him, but since he was still planning on building a team, he knew that it wouldn't be big enough.

"Any preferences?" Moira asked.

"Big basement. Preferably in the Glades. Provide new forms of income for people there, maybe even help with the growing crime scene, which seems to have only gotten worse while I was gone." Oliver said.

"Are you sure you don't want to be a humanitarian?" Walter asked jokingly and all three of them laughed.

"Very funny Walter." Oliver said.

"Anyways, we should probably get the paperwork signed and you packed up." Moira said and Oliver nodded.

* * *

"What's going on?" Thea asked as she saw boxes coming out of her brother's room.

"I found my own place." Oliver said, shocking Thea.

"You're leaving again?" Thea asked and Oliver smiled at her.

"I'm only 10 minutes away and I gave mom a key, so you guys can come over whenever you want, as long as you call ahead. Besides, I have spare bedrooms in case you ever want to stop by, but there are rules in my apartment." Oliver said.

"Okay, what are they?" Thea asked.

"No drugs unless it's been prescribed by a doctor and I have to see it to believe it." Oliver said.

"Seriously?" Thea asked.

"Yep, also, no surprise visitors." Oliver said and Thea understood the meaning of that.

"What have you done with my brother." Thea asked.

"I grew up and I think it's time you do to Thea. You'll be 18 in a few months and if you keep going the way you are now, you'll probably end up in accident like the Gambit, only you won't be lucky enough to come back." Oliver said, deciding that someone needed to be the parent to Thea since his own mother clearly wasn't ready to do it yet.

"Oliver." Moira said, getting both of their attention.

"She needed to hear it mom. Frankly, it's a talk you and Thea should've had a long time ago." Oliver said as he walked passed them to help pack up the truck.

"He's not wrong Thea." Moira said.

"Wait, what?" Thea asked.

"I should've confronted you a long time ago about everything Thea. I told myself that I was giving you space to mourn, but that's not it. All I've been doing is enabling you to throw your life away. I can't keep doing that. Because the way you're headed, it will end with you in a similar situation to what Oliver was in, only you won't survive. There will be changes made in your life Thea." Moira said.

"Like what?" Thea asked.

"You're grounded." Moira said.

"Wait, what?" Thea asked.

"You heard me Thea. I'm done enabling your childish behavior. Also, you're cut off. I suggest you start looking for a job." Moira said.

"You can't do that." Thea said.

"Actually I can. Your trust fund is compiled of my money, which means I can turn the switch off. From now on, if you want money, you have to work for it. Most kids your age have jobs. I suggest you find one until you prove to me that deserve my money." Moira said, making it clear that was final and leaving Thea shocked at what had just happened.


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver was working on getting his things unloaded from the moving van, when suddenly, he felt a dart enter his neck.

"About time." Oliver said he let the tranq take place as he felt his vision go dark.

When he came to, he found himself once again restrained to a chair and the three thugs his mother had hired to abduct him were standing over him.

"Oliver Queen." the lead thug said.

"What do you want?" Oliver asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"Did your father make it to the island with you? Did he tell you anything?" the leader asked again.

"Yeah, he did tell me something." Oliver said.

"What was it?" the thug asked.

"He told me I'm going to kill you." Oliver said, perfectly rephrasing what he'd said the first time this had happened.

"You must be joking. You're zip-cuffed to a chair." the thug said.

"Not anymore." Oliver said as he revealed he'd freed himself and quickly killed the three thugs, which was even easier this time before grabbing a phone and calling the cops.

* * *

After he'd gotten a lift from the cops back to the mansion, he found that he was confronted with none other than Detective Lance and while he knew that eventually he and Quentin would make amends, but right now, he was a hardass that required a lot of willpower not to kick the crap out of.

"So that's your story? A guy in a green hood flew in and single-handedly took out three armed kidnappers? I mean, who is he?" Quentin asked.

"Why would he do that? I don't know. Find him and you can ask." Oliver said.

"Detective Lance. Surely you're investigation has nothing to do with how you feel about my son." Moira said.

"We're just doing our job." Hilton said.

"Well Detective Hilton, I'm sure you'll understand if I prefer to deal with only you in the future, since your partner has an axe to grind with me." Oliver said and Hilton nodded.

"I think we've got everything we need anyways. Let's go." Hilton said as he dragged Quentin out.

"I'm not sure if now is the best time for you to be moving out." Moira said.

"Mom, I was serious when I said I wanted to leave the nest. But maybe we could start looking into a bodyguard." Oliver said.

"I think that's a fair trade Moira." Walter said and Moira nodded.

"Okay. I will start looking into potential candidate now." Moira said.

"Actually, I was already looking into this after I got back and I found someone I think would do. Search the name John Diggle." Oliver said, knowing this was the perfect time to bring John in.

"I will check him out." Moira said and Oliver nodded.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to unpack." Oliver said and Moira and Walter nodded.

* * *

Oliver was on his way out to his bike when he accidentally bumped into Laurel.

"Not that it's not good to see you, but what brings you here?" Oliver asked her.

"I heard about your kidnapping and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Just because I'm still pissed at you doesn't mean I don't worry about you." Laurel said.

"Well thank you, but I'm fine." Oliver said.

"Yeah I suppose after 5 years on that island, a simple kidnapping is nothing. But anyways, where are you going?" Laurel asked.

"I got my own place and I was actually in the process of unloading the van when I was abducted." Oliver said.

"Huh, barely home a day and you're already moving out." Laurel asked, but this time, Oliver could tell that she was a bit amused.

"I wanted my own space. I'm a grown man, I think I should have my own place." Oliver said.

"You really have changed." Laurel said.

"I told you. The man I was when I got on the Gambit went down with it." Oliver said.

"Maybe now I'm really starting to believe it. And I'm sorry about my dad." Laurel said.

"Don't be. He's always been an ass to me, but now it's been justified." Oliver said.

"Still, I think you've suffered enough for what you did. I just wish he would to." Laurel said.

"The only way he'd stop is if Sara came back from the dead and I'm not sure it that's possible." Oliver said.

"Maybe, but still, I'll talk to him." Laurel said.

"I can't ask you to jeopardize your relationship with your father. You've both been through enough because of me." Oliver said as he walked passed her and got on his bike before driving off.

* * *

After he'd finished bringing his stuff into his new apartment, Oliver was trying to figure out how he'd be bringing John into the fold when suddenly, he heard something he wasn't expecting.

The opening of a breach.

"What the hell?" Oliver asked as suddenly a familiar face jumped out of it.

"Cisco." Oliver asked.

"Oliver, what the hell did you do?" Cisco Ramon asked and that was how Oliver knew that somehow, Cisco was aware of what he'd done.

"Long story. Find a place to sit and I'll explain." Oliver said and Cisco nodded.

* * *

 **That's right, I brought back Cisco, since I think with his powers, he'd be aware of what had happened. No the particle accelerator has not gone off yet, but Cisco was able to retain his powers due to the reality shift since they're tied to the multiverse.**


	5. Chapter 5

"So, when you tried to destroy the book of destiny, it ended up creating a new reality that reset Earth One back to how it was when you first came back from Lian Yu?" Cisco asked.

"And since Kara, Clark, Brainy and J'onn were here when it happened, the release of energy somehow fused our earth with theirs." Oliver said.

"Interesting. Well at least now we won't have to breach between earths when we need Kara's help." Cisco said.

"So, you're okay with the fact that I basically rewrote reality?" Oliver asked.

"Considering it was an accident and you managed to save several people not only for your life, but also our's, like Eddie, Ronnie, Professor Stein, Henry, I think that this is one thing we can let slide." Cisco said.

"Good, because this time, we can both make sure that all the people we lost before stay alive." Oliver said.

"I can already think of one thing that can be done to prevent those deaths." Cisco said and Oliver already knew what he was thinking.

"You have to let the accelerator go off Cisco." Oliver said

"What, why?" Cisco asked.

"Because for one thing, Thawne will kill you if he suspects something's up and you might have your powers, but can't match his speed." Oliver pointed out.

"Still, give me another reason." Cisco said.

"The world needs the Flash." Oliver said simply.

"Fair point. Besides, I guess the accelerator would provide a cover for how I got my powers." Cisco said.

"Yeah, but you can still work on the firestorm cure you made for Jax and Stein and give it to them." Oliver pointed out.

"True. And since I already know everything I need to know to make Barry's future flash suit and ring thing, I can start working on it now and give it to him when he wakes up." Cisco said and Oliver nodded.

"Speaking of suits, I need mine." Oliver said.

"Skipping straight to Green Arrow this time huh?" Cisco asked.

"Yeah." Oliver said.

"One question, hood and mask or not?" Cisco asked.

"Definite yes. Resetting reality means that no one knows my identity anymore and this time I intend to keep it that way." Oliver said.

"Got it." Cisco nodded.

"I could also use you to make some upgrades to this place." Oliver said.

"Really, like what?" Cisco asked.

"A new security system, I've already started working to get John back, with my abduction earlier, but I wouldn't mind some additional security here." Oliver said.

"Okay, anything else?" Cisco asked.

"Yeah, a place for me to store my suit in here until I can get my new hideout built." Oliver said.

"Done. I'll get started on the suit right now." Cisco said and Oliver nodded.

"Thank you and Cisco, remember, no one can know about this. Especially Barry and Kara, since there's a good chance they'd try to undo this." Oliver said.

"Agreed. But what happens if either of them end up remembering?" Cisco asked.

"Then you bring them to me and I will try to get them to understand." Oliver said and Cisco nodded.

"I'll see you soon." Cisco said as he opened a breach.

"I see your powers are back to normal." Oliver said.

"Yeah, your reality redo means that my hands were never sliced by Cicada's dagger. Which I'm going to start trying to make sure he never gets." Cisco said.

"And you know that means that you can't let DeVoe even begin his plans." Oliver said and Cisco nodded as he jumped through the breach, which closed behind him.

"Huh, that makes this a little easier." Oliver


	6. Chapter 6

Oliver was currently doing research into Sara's targets from her time with the League, and this confirmed that she was alive. Now he just needed to figure out how to lure her back to Star City. It might not completely fix his relationship with the Lances yet, but it would help. Though Laurel had already begun to forgive him, he could tell, but the only way Quentin would begin to stop being an ass if Sara came back.

However, he was driven from his thoughts when he heard the elevator to his penthouse ding and his mother walked out with a familiar face.

"Mom I thought I told you to call ahead before you came over." Oliver said, only half annoyed at this.

"Just because you don't live at home anymore doesn't mean I won't barge in unannounced." Moira said as Oliver turned his attention to her associate.

"You must be John Diggle." Oliver said, holding out his hand to John, who nodded.

"Yes sir. I understand that you're the one who recommended me to your mother." John said.

"Yeah, I was already doing some searching for a little extra security and you were a very impressive candidate. Your military jacket is quite impressive." Oliver said.

"Thank you sir." John said.

"And by the way, lose the sir. It's Oliver." Oliver told him and John nodded, already telling that this job would be different than his previous ones.

"I'll leave you to get acquainted." Moira said as she left them.

"You need a place to crash?" Oliver asked.

"I appreciate the offer, but I have my own place." John said.

"Anyways, I hope you like a challenge, since I will definitely provide you with one." Oliver said.

"I tend to take jobs with people like you specifically because they offer a challenge. But let me be clear, my ability to keep you safe will outweigh your comfort level." John warned.

"Then I know you're a man who actually does his job." Oliver said.

"You can call me Dig you know." John said.

"I'll keep that in mind. But I believe my mom is waiting for us to get to the courthouse for my legal resurrection." Oliver said and Dig nodded as they headed downstairs.

* * *

After the hearing, Oliver decided to hang back to talk to Judge Grell, since he'd decided that there was another way to make sure Adam Hunt got what was coming to him besides as a vigilante.

"What did you want Mr. Queen?" Grell asked.

"How much is Adam Hunt paying you to throw the case against him?" Oliver asked.

"What are you talking about?" Grell asked, nervously.

"Cut the crap, I know that Hunt funded your re election campaign and I know that he's paying you make sure that charges against him are dropped. So how much is he paying you?" Oliver asked.

"10 million." Grell said.

"I'll pay you double that if you make sure the trial is fair and as a bonus, I'll pay you half now and the other half after the trial. And it's best if no one knows about this." Oliver said, using Grell's corruption to his advantage.

"You'll pay me 20 million dollars to make sure that Hunt's trial is fair?" Grell asked.

"You're forgetting my family is even richer than he is. I want to make sure that justice is served. So, do we have a deal?" Oliver asked and Grell nodded.

"I'll transfer 10 million to your account tonight, you get the second half when Hunt is behind bars." Oliver said.

"And I'll make sure no one knows about this." Grell said.

"Good. Now I have places to be." Oliver said as he walked away.

* * *

"What was that about?" John asked Oliver.

"Don't act like you weren't listening in Dig." Oliver said.

"So you paid off a judge?" John asked.

"To make sure he actually did his job. The thing about corruption is that anyone can take advantage of it." Oliver said.

"That's actually pretty smart. Offer the man more money to do his job then he was being paid to throw the case, but why remain anonymous?" John asked.

"Because my ex-girlfriend Laurel Lance is the leading prosecutor of the case and I don't want her to think that I was doing this just to get back in her good books or that I was buying the trial for her. Better for her to believe that the trial is fair than to know I'm interfering with her job." Oliver said.

"Were you trying to get back in her good books?" John asked.

"I can't deny my feelings for her are a part of why I did it, but she's still pissed at me for taking her sister on that boat. Anyways, I could use a real burger, you know a place?" Oliver asked John.

"I'll bring the car around." John said and Oliver could tell that John was honestly impressed by what he'd done.


	7. Chapter 7

Oliver had just finished paying Grell the first half of the money as promised when he heard the elevator open.

Since he'd already sent John home for the night, Oliver was wondering who it could be, preparing to ward off more attackers, but to his relief, it was only Cisco and he had a few cases with him.

"Sorry, would've called ahead, but wasn't sure if you'd take my call." Cisco said and Oliver nodded.

"Is it done?" Oliver asked.

"See for yourself." Cisco said, proudly placed a case down and opening it to reveal Oliver's Green Arrow suit, complete with a mask and hood.

"And the other cases?" Oliver asked.

"This one has your bow, the other one has your new quiver. I made some upgrades." Cisco said as Oliver took the bow from it's case.

"Nice to know you got the balance right." Oliver said as he tested it out.

"I also brought my tools so I can modify your apartment to hide the suit." Cisco said.

"Good. In the meantime while you do that, I'm going to start putting this gear to good use." Oliver said.

"Who you hitting first?" Cisco asked.

"Jason Brodeur. There's an innocent man that's suffering because of him." Oliver said, thinking of Peter Declan.

"Good luck. Oh and Oliver, you should know, while I was in Central City, I tracked down William and Samantha." Cisco said, much to Oliver's surprise.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"I thought that you might like to know that you still have a son in this reality." Cisco said.

"Thank you Cisco. But don't tell anyone about William. If there's one thing I learned from the old reality it's that he's better off without me in his life. Whether I like it or not." Oliver said.

"So you're just going to let him grow up without his father?" Cisco asked.

"The life I've chosen, it's one that William can never become a part of. I feel bad enough he got dragged into it once before, I don't intend to let it happen again." Oliver said.

"Don't you think a boy needs his father?" Cisco asked.

"Not this father. Besides, William has already ended up in Chase's crosshairs, I have no intention on him being dragged into Slade's to. Which reminds me, do you remember the mirakuru cure?" Oliver asked.

"I can start working on it when I get back. The accelerator will be ready soon and then hell will be unleashed on the world." Cisco said.

"At least the world already has a Superman to help it. And hopefully soon, a Supergirl." Oliver said, since in this new reality, Superman had been active for years already and Kara had yet to become Supergirl.

"Yeah, once the labs are deserted, I can begin working on tracking down Caitlin's father to." Cisco said.

"Good luck. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a city to save." Oliver said as he moved to change into his suit.

* * *

Oliver moved straight to Matt Istook, capturing him and taking him to the train tracks.

"What do you want?" Istook asked.

"Camille Declan. She told you she had incriminating information against Jason Brodeur and not only let her get killed, but you also denied any knowledge of this and let the blame of Camille's murder fall onto her husband." Green Arrow said and he had to admit he'd kind of missed being able to use this kind of intimidation.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Istook said and Green Arrow just sighed.

"Your lies have put Peter Declan on death row. Now, you can either tell the truth, or catch the 10:15 train to Bludhaven. Your choice. And I'd think quickly if I were you." Green Arrow said.

"Okay. Okay. Brodeur paid me to say that Camille never spoke to me. But I didn't have anything to do with her death." Istook said as they heard the train start to approach.

"Oh, God. Please let me go. I'll do anything. You can have the file." Istook said, practically begging, not knowing that Green Arrow had already taken it.

"What file?" Green Arrow demanded, knowing he had to let the timeline play out as close to the original as he could right now.

"Camille gave me a file of evidence against Jason Brodeur." Istook said.

"Where is it? And remember, you're not in a position to negotiate." Green Arrow said, making it clear that the only way he was getting out of this was by telling him what he wanted to know.

"Uh, it's in my desk! The file, it's in my desk at the office! You can have it! Get me out of here!" Istook said and Green Arrow wasted no time in cutting Istook free with an arrow.

"By the way, I recorded your confession. Hope you enjoy prison." Green Arrow said, wishing he'd done that before, since Istook had aided in Brodeur's toxic waste dumping and had stayed quiet about Camille Declan's murder. He deserved prison. Oliver's time in Slabside may have made him realize that the world wasn't as black and white as he once thought, but there were people he'd sent to prison who deserved to be there. Matt Istook was one of them.

Now he had to figure out how to get the information to Laurel, since he hadn't quite established his reputation as a vigilante yet.


	8. Chapter 8

Laurel had just entered her apartment after dealing with a surprisingly fair trial against Adam Hunt, for some reason Grell wasn't just eating out of his hand like she'd expected him to, if anything, he seemed adamant on the trial being fair. She didn't know why, but as long as justice was served, she honestly didn't care.

She flipped the light switch, but to her surprise, nothing happened.

"Hello?" Laurel asked as she pulled her gun out of her purse and for some reason, she started getting flashes of memories. Things that had never happened before, but were still somehow familiar to her.

"Laurel Lance." a deep voice said and Laurel turned to see a man wearing a green leather outfit standing in the shadows of her apartment.

"Who are you?" Laurel asked, trying to keep panic out of her voice.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." the man said as he placed his bow on the ground.

"Then why are you here?" Laurel asked.

"To give you this." the man said, holding out a folder to her and as if by instinct, she took it, somehow already knowing what it was as she read it.

"This is proof that." Laurel said.

"Jason Brodeur had Camille Declan killed when she found incriminating information against him and framed her husband for it. An innocent man is currently in prison and likely headed for death row soon." the man said.

"Why are you giving me this?" Laurel asked, though she could feel some kind of attraction to this strange man, something familiar about him, but she couldn't place it.

"Because you're one of the few people in this city who truly want to seek justice. I know you'll do what's right." the man said as he moved to leave out the window, picking up his bow on the way.

"Who are you?" Laurel asked again, causing the man to look at her and she swore she could almost see his face under that hood and mask.

"I'm the Green Arrow." he said as he fired an arrow out the window and like that he, was gone and the lights in her apartment came back on, leaving Laurel to wonder who that guy was, why she felt like she knew him and where these strange new memories were coming from. But for now, she had to focus on winning her case against Adam Hunt so she could begin focusing on Peter Declan.

* * *

Back at his own apartment, Oliver could see Cisco was still working and he had more tools with him then when Oliver had left.

"Did you breach back to Central City while I was gone?" Oliver asked.

"Yep. But I'm almost rigging a hiding place for your suit here." Cisco said, showing him the alcove he was working on.

"Nice. This will have room for my gear?" Oliver asked.

"Complete with a mannequin for your suit and a rack for your bow." Cisco confirmed.

"How much longer?" Oliver asked.

"I'd say maybe an hour or so." Cisco said, surprising him.

"You're an even bigger genius then I thought and that's saying something." Oliver said and Cisco nodded.

"I'll let you when I'm done." Cisco said and Oliver nodded as he let Cisco get back to work and began preparing for if he needed to go after Jason Brodeur himself or if this time, Laurel could get Declan out with the information he'd given her.

* * *

The next day, Laurel couldn't help but smile as she heard Judge Grell rule in her favor.

"What, no, you can't be serious." Hunt said, shocked.

"I am completely serious Mr. Hunt. You'll do jail time for embezzlement and every other crime you've been accused of here today, along with all the money you've embezzled being returned to its owners immediately." Grell said as Hunt was dragged away by the prosecutor as Laurel smiled, though she was curious about why Grell had done this. She thought he was in Hunt's pocket for sure.

* * *

Laurel was on her way out to her car when she heard Grell talking to someone.

"I made sure the trial was fair like you asked. Now, will hold up your end of the deal?" She heard Grell ask someone and Laurel was shocked when she found him talking to none other than her ex-boyfriend Oliver Queen.

"The other 10 million will be deposited by 10pm tonight like we agreed." Oliver said.

"What is going on here?" Laurel demanded, thinking that Oliver had bribed the judge just to get her to like him again.

"I'll handle this." Oliver said to Grell, who nodded and quickly walked away.

"What were you doing giving money to Grell?" Laurel demanded, shocked at how calm Oliver was at this.

"Hunt's a heavy hitter and we both know he would've paid Grell off to make sure he got away with his crimes. All I did was offer Grell more money to actually do his job properly." Oliver said.

"Wait, that's why Grell convicted Hunt?" Laurel asked and Oliver nodded.

"Corruption maybe a problem, but it can be used to a person's advantage and Hunt was going to use that to get off scot free, so I simply offered Grell more." Oliver said.

"So, you weren't trying to buy the trial?" Laurel asked.

"No. Because I think that while parts of the legal system are broken considering a judge who's willing to throw a case just for some extra money, I do recognize that it still has a purpose." Oliver said.

"You really have changed haven't you." Laurel said, calming down a bit.

"Yeah, I'm not the same man I was. He wouldn't have even cared about any of this. I'm trying to be a better person Laurel. And honestly, I should've just told Grell to call me when the trial was over, since I wanted to remain anonymous." Oliver said.

"You weren't looking for credit?" Laurel asked.

"No, I wasn't. Now, are you done yelling at me, because I actually have other places to be." Oliver said and Laurel nodded, shocked.

"I'll see you around Laurel." Oliver said as he walked passed her, leaving Laurel shocked, since this was the first time she was starting to believe that Oliver really had changed.


	9. Chapter 9

Over the next few weeks, Oliver began crossing more names off the list in a more aggressive fashion, not going as far as killing any of them, but doing enough to get Malcolm's attention that someone was crossing names off his list.

Anyways, now he was sitting in his apartment, trying to decide if he should go after Martin Somers or Justin Claybourne next when suddenly, he got a page from the doorman telling him he had a female visitor coming up in his elevator.

Oliver was about to ask who it was when the doors opened and he saw Laurel enter his apartment.

"Nice place." Laurel said.

"I don't remember giving you my new address." Oliver said, though Laurel could tell that he was just playing.

"Thea told me. She is adamant about getting us getting back together." Laurel said and Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Of course she did. Not that you're not welcome here, but next time, give me a little notice. I already sent Dig home for the night and I'm still trying to adjust back to being back in society." Oliver said.

"Why do you need a bodyguard anyways?" Laurel asked.

"Part of it is provide my mother with some piece of mind since I'm no longer living at that mansion and the other part is more so that John can protect people from me if I ever suffer from PTSD." Oliver said and Laurel nodded, accepting that.

"I can't even begin to imagine what you went through on that island. No matter how much I hated you before, I can tell that you've more than suffered for what you did. Can I ask you something personal?" Laurel asked.

"Depends on the question." Oliver said.

"How did you survive all that time away?" Laurel asked.

"There were times I almost didn't. But, every time I was close to just letting myself die, I found something to help me keep on going." Oliver said.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"This." Oliver said as he showed her the picture he'd always made sure he held close to him the entire 5 years he was gone.

"You kept this with you, all those years." Laurel asked as she looked at the picture of herself that she'd actually given him before he left.

"All I could think about those 5 years away were coming back and trying to make things right with you. To get you to give another chance I honestly don't deserve." Oliver said.

Before Laurel could respond to that however, suddenly, bullets rang through the windows, causing Oliver to shove Laurel to the ground.

"Are you by any chance going up against Martin Somers in court right now?" Oliver asked her.

"Yeah, why?" Laurel asked.

"I'm pretty sure this is his way to get you off the case." Oliver said as he began contemplating whether or not he should reveal his identity to Laurel. He was planning on doing it eventually, but not this soon.

Then he heard Laurel scream in pain and he saw a bullet had hit her shoulder and his choice was made as thugs burst into his apartment.

"Laurel take cover." Oliver said.

"What about you?" Laurel asked as she held her shoulder tightly, trying not to feel the pain.

"I'm gonna take care of these guys." Oliver said.

"How?" Laurel asked.

"With this." Oliver said as he pulled out the remote Cisco had given him and pressed the button on it, causing the wall next to the minibar to slide back, revealing his Green Arrow suit.

"You're him. The Green Arrow." Laurel said in shock.

"I'll explain later." Oliver said as he managed to slide over to his gear and simply grabbed his bow and quiver.

"Alright boys, let's dance." Oliver said as he began fighting off these triad thugs, who were clearly out of their league, since Oliver already had 12 years of experience behind him and he was pissed off that Laurel was hurt and he let his arrows fly, each of them laced with a compound he'd had Cisco make for exactly this purpose as he took them out.

"You killed them all." Laurel said, shocked.

"They're not dead, just tranqed with a compound designed to wipe their short term memories. Keeping my identity safe from the outside world." Oliver said as he quickly re hid his gear and then moved to where he kept his emergency herbs.

"Eat this, it'll help." Oliver said.

"What is it?" Laurel asked skeptically.

"It's an herb from Lian Yu, it has healing properties. This stuff helped save me from a lot worse than a bullet in the shoulder." Oliver told her and Laurel nodded as she reluctantly ate the herb while Oliver retrieved a pair of tweezers.

"This is gonna hurt." Oliver said.

"What is?" Laurel asked.

"We need to get the bullet out." Oliver said as he just finished calling 911.

"Can you do that?" Laurel asked with uncertainty.

"I've done it to myself before. Long story. I already called the cops and the hospital, they can patch you up better, but for now I can keep you from bleeding out." Oliver told her as he handed her something to bite down on before using the tweezers to pull the bullet out of her shoulder, causing her to scream in pain before he began clotting the wound.

"So, you're the Green Arrow huh?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah. Now you know why he came to you with Declan." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"I have to ask, are you gonna turn me in?" Oliver asked.

"No." Laurel said immediately.

"Really?" Oliver asked.

"I'm actually a Green Arrow supporter. You've done more good for the city in a few weeks then the cops have in a long time. This city needs you, just like Gotham needs the Batman." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Glad to hear it. Now come on, let's get you on the couch." Oliver said as he took Laurel's uninjured arm and helped her up.


	10. Chapter 10

Once the authorities had arrived at Oliver's penthouse, he began giving a statement while the doctors began tending to Laurel as Quentin rushed up to her.

"Are you okay?" Quentin asked her as he walked up to the gurney she was on.

"I could be worse. Could've gotten a bullet in my head instead of my shoulder." Laurel said as Quentin glared over at Oliver.

"Dad, I know what you're thinking and this was not his fault. Last time I checked, this was his apartment and I highly doubt he hired some thugs to shoot me." Laurel said.

"And I didn't. These guys are triad and I'm betting that the reason they were here is because Laurel is going up against Martin Somers." Oliver said as he approached them.

"What?" Quentin asked.

"Dad, you know he's in bed with the triad right?" Laurel asked.

"I do now apparently." Quentin said.

"Ollie's right, this was probably his attempt to get the case against him dismissed by having me crossed off." Laurel said.

"Not everything bad that happens to your family is my fault Quentin. And yes, what happened to Sara is my fault, but at least you didn't have to watch her die. I did and I live with that forever. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to call my insurance company." Oliver said angrily, since he was done taking Quentin's grief for everything before noticing Dig enter the penthouse.

"John, this isn't on you. I'm the one who sent you home for the night." Oliver said before his bodyguard could say anything.

"I should've been here." John said.

"No point in arguing over that now. I'm the one who said you could go home, thinking that no one would attack me in my own home. My mom gives you any grief over this, tell her I was the one who sent you home." Oliver said.

"Fine. Any idea on who did this?" John asked.

"Triad. Laurel decided to pay me a late night visit and I guess she pissed someone off in the Triad." Oliver said.

"Detective. We found these near all the men." one of the cops said to Lance, holding up an arrow.

"The vigilante was here?" Quentin asked.

"The Green Arrow saved my life dad. If it weren't for him, Ollie and I would be dead right now." Laurel said as the doctors wheeled the gurney she was on towards the elevator.

"Is that true?" Quentin asked Oliver.

"Not sure why you'd believe me, but yes, it's true. I guess he was tracking the Triad's movements and heard about what was going on." Oliver said.

"Interesting." Quentin said before he also left with the cops.

"John, go home, there's nothing left to be done tonight." Oliver said, since he had hunting to do and he couldn't do that with John watching him.

"Are you sure?" John asked.

"I'll pay you double to leave now. I'm having a friend install a new security system in here tomorrow and I need you fully aware and focused then, not half asleep because you were watching me asleep." Oliver said and John sighed before leaving again.

"Martin Somers, it's time to pay for your crimes." Oliver said as he reopened the alcove with his suit in it.

* * *

Martin Somers was currently preparing to leave the city after hearing that the Green Arrow intercepted his attack on Laurel Lance, he knew that he'd be coming for him.

However, he was too late as arrows began striking down his men.

"Martin Somers, you have failed this city." Green Arrow said from his perch.

"Good thing I have some friends." Somers said as Green Arrow dodged an attack from China White.

"So, you're the Green Arrow. I have to admit, I was expecting something more." White said.

"And I was expecting more a challenge." Green Arrow said as he took out China White with ease this time around.

He then fired an arrow pinning Somers to a shipping container on the docks.

"Confess Somers." Green Arrow said.

"No, the Triad will kill me." Somers said fearfully.

"What do you think I'm going to do." Green Arrow said angrily as he pulled out an arrow and held it right at Somers' head.

"Confess." Green Arrow shouted.

"Okay, okay, I did it." Somers said as he confessed, right as they heard police sirens arrive.

"Gotta go." Green Arrow said as he left the recording of Somers' confession before shooting a cable arrow and escaping, right as Lance and Hilton arrived on the scene.

"Son of a bitch. He beat us here." Quentin said, recognizing the Green Arrow's work.

"Yep. And we even got a confession of Somers not only being in bed with the Triad, but ordering the hit on Laurel." Hilton said.

"Get him in the car before I shoot him." Quentin said as he turned his back on Somers, not trusting himself right now.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Oliver visited Laurel in the hospital, since she had been kept there overnight.

"Dig, can you give us a moment and wait out here?" Oliver asked John as they arrived outside her room.

"Yes sir." John said as Oliver entered the room.

"I was hoping you'd visit." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"I would've come last night, but I was busy." Oliver said.

"Yeah, taking down Martin Somers is hard work." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Thank you for keeping my secret." Oliver said.

"It's no problem. Honestly, there was always something about the Green Arrow that was familiar to me. Now I know why. But I have to ask, why are you doing this?" Laurel asked.

"It's a long story." Oliver said.

"Well, maybe you could tell me over dinner tomorrow night?" Laurel asked.

"Are you asking me out?" Oliver asked, a bit shocked.

"You saved my life, I think that gets you out of the doghouse." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Okay then. Dinner it is." Oliver said.

"What the doctor say about your shoulder?" Oliver asked her.

"Broken. I'll need a cast for about 6 weeks." Laurel said.

"I should've stopped them before they got that shot in." Oliver said.

"Hey, this wasn't your fault. My dad tried to warn me off Somers and I didn't listen. But Ollie, once I'm healed up, I want you to train me." Laurel said.

"Wait what?" Oliver asked.

"You dodged those shots and attacks easily. I need to be able to better protect myself in the future, especially if I'm going to go up against heavy hitters like Somers again." Laurel said.

"Laurel, it took me 5 years to get to my level in fighting and it's not only fighting. I developed a survival instinct that helped keep me alive. It was created out a need to well, survive." Oliver said.

"I know I can't become quite as good as you, but you can at least teach me the basics." Laurel said.

"You really want to do this?" Oliver asked.

"I do." Laurel said and Oliver sighed in defeat.

"Fine. Once the doctor's clear you, we'll talk." Oliver said and Laurel nodded, knowing that was the best she was going to get.

"And actually, why don't you just come over to my place for dinner tomorrow night? My mom actually had Raisa come over and teach me how to cook so I wouldn't be living on fast food." Oliver said.

"Might be a better place to have this conversation anyway, since it's more private. Deal and I promise that this time, no one will start shooting up the apartment this time." Laurel said.

"If they do, I'll protect you." Oliver said with a smile.

"My dad's gonna be here soon, so you should probably go." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Probably. I'll see you tomorrow night." Oliver said as he walked out of her room.

* * *

The next night, Laurel took deep breaths as she rode the elevator up to Oliver's apartment, wearing a pretty black dress and her arm was in a sling to keep from aggravating her shoulder, but what was really bugging her was what was on her mind. Despite what she'd said, she wasn't sure why she was doing this. Oliver had cheated on her repeatedly, taken her sister on the Queen's Gambit and gotten her killed and yet here she was, preparing to have dinner with him. But she could tell that this time, he was a different man and she wasn't just thinking about him being the Green Arrow. He was more mature, more responsible, it was like he'd become an entirely different person in the first place.

Before she could give anymore thought to the matter, the elevator opened and Laurel couldn't help but smile as she saw that the lights were dimmed and candles had been lit around the room and when she entered the kitchen, she found that a candlelit dinner waiting on the table and Oliver was standing there.

"I honestly thought that you would've come to your senses and not shown up." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"I thought about it, but then I realized that would make me you. Or at least, the old you and that is something I swore I would never be." Laurel said and Oliver smile as he helped her sit down.

"I made your favorite." Oliver said as he sat down.

"You remembered." Laurel said, impressed.

"Yeah, I did." Oliver agreed.

"So, you promised me you'd tell me why you started doing this. Being the Green Arrow." Laurel said.

"My father and I both made it to a life raft when the Gambit went down and he told me that he was not the man we all thought he was. He asked me to right his wrongs and save our city. Then he told me to survive, put a gun to his head and shot himself, since there wasn't enough food and water for more than person. He sacrificed himself to save me. Part of the reason I'm doing this is because I'm trying to honor him." Oliver said.

"Wow, that's deep." Laurel said as she sipped some of her wine, since Oliver had made sure to remember that she wasn't an alcoholic yet and hopefully he could keep her from becoming one.

"Yeah, I guess so. But after I arrived on the island, I found a list of names in his pocket. I've been using that list to help me determine who I go after. Adam Hunt, Martin Somers, Jason Brodeur, all of them were on the list." Oliver said.

"All people who've been hurting this city." Laurel said.

"Yeah. And I'm also planning on going after people who aren't on this list." Oliver said.

"I think I'm finally starting to see the man you were always meant to be Ollie. A hero." Laurel said.

"I'm not a hero Laurel." Oliver said.

"Maybe not yet. But you can be, someday." Laurel said.

"Maybe." Oliver reluctantly agreed as they continued eating.


	12. Chapter 12

Laurel couldn't help but notice the change in Oliver the more she learned of what he'd been through on the island, since he'd promised no more secrets between them when they started dating again. Something they'd decided to keep quiet for the moment, since their relationship was still in the experimental stage and they weren't sure if it was going last and also because despite being the Green Arrow, Oliver was positive that her father would kill him if he found out they were back together. They'd also refrained from sleeping together again until they were sure that this was real. The only person at this point who knew they were back together was Oliver's bodyguard John Diggle, who Laurel knows Oliver was planning on bringing into the fold soon, she just didn't know when.

Anyways, Oliver had also begun working on setting up his own nightclub in the Glades and Laurel had to admire him for trying to help the Glades by creating more job opportunities, since he'd also told her he was talking to his mother and Walter about establishing programs in the Glades to help people gain training to help find work, in order to further help the Glades and now Laurel was pretty sure he'd end up winning the humanitarian of the year award soon.

Anyways, Laurel was watching the news about James Holder's death and since she knew that was a name on Oliver's list, she decided to call him.

"Hey, what's up?" Oliver asked.

"Hey, I just saw the news about James Holder's death. Was that you?" Laurel asked.

"No, that was not me. I was confronting him last night, but someone crossed him off before I even had a chance. I'm looking into the shooter now." Oliver said and he could practically hear Laurel sigh in relief.

"On another note, I promised my mom I'd be there for the family at the Unidac Auction and I was wondering if you'd be interested in being my date." Oliver said.

"What happened to keeping things on the downlow?" Laurel asked.

"It's your call, but I think I'm ready to let people know we're together again, but only if you are." Oliver said.

"I'll think about it." Laurel said.

"Let me know when you've made up your mind." Oliver said.

"Will do." Laurel said as she hung up.

* * *

Oliver was currently doing research into Floyd Lawton, since he knew that Holder had been killed by Deadshot. He knew that Lawton was a tricky one, since even though he was a killer, at the same time, he also saved Lyla's life Markovia, that didn't change the fact that he was still dangerous. Besides, he needed a way to bring John into the fold. Killing the man who supposedly killed Andy was the best way to do that.

Anyways, Oliver was currently planning on going after Deadshot, since this also provided an opportunity to start bringing Felicity into the game, since he had to admit, while they may not have been a great married couple, they did work well together in the field.

Anyways, Oliver was working on Lawton, since he'd gotten confirmation from the Bratva that Lawton still used the same apartment he had before when his phone rang.

"Hello?" Oliver asked when he heard a familiar voice over the phone.

"How soon can you get to Star City?" Oliver asked as the person on the other end of the phone call continued speaking.

"Great, see you soon." Oliver said when he hung up, thinking that person would definitely help him bring John in.

* * *

After snagging the laptop from Deadshot's apartment, Oliver found himself walking to a familiar cubicle.

"Are you Felicity Smoak?" Oliver asked.

"That depends, who's asking?" Felicity asked and Oliver smiled, since she still had that snark.

"Look up from your screen." Oliver said as Felicity did exactly that and she stuttered at who was standing there.

"Mr. Queen, I'm so sorry." Felicity said, quickly panicking, but Oliver just chuckled at her.

"Relax, just call me Oliver and all is forgiven." Oliver said and Felicity nodded.

"Okay then, Oliver, what can I do for you?" Felicity asked.

"Do you think you can salvage any of the data on this?" Oliver asked, holding out Lawton's computer.

"What happened to this?" Felicity asked, taking the bullet ridden computer.

"Let's just say I was in a less than savory part of town. Took a few bullets. Any chance you can retrieve the data on it?" Oliver asked.

"I can try. I'll let you know if you can come up with anything." Felicity said and Oliver nodded.

"Let me know." Oliver said.


	13. Chapter 13

Thea was currently pouting in her room, since she was still grounded when her mother entered her room.

"Come to visit me in my imprisonment." Thea asked.

"You know Thea, there are worse places to be stuck in. Your room isn't exactly short on luxuries." Moira said, since even though she'd taken Thea's TV, computer and phone from her room, it was far from having nothing to do.

"What do you want mom?" Thea asked.

"To find out if you want to wear the Calvin Klein or the Zac Posen?" Moira said as she held out two different dresses for Thea to choose.

"For dinner?" she said, confused. "I was just going to wear pajamas."

"To Walter's stock auction." Moira explained.

Thea groaned as she responded "I think I'd rather be grounded."

"No, it's important that you come." Moira pressed on.

"Important to whom?"

"To me." Moira insisted. Thea looked up at her incredulously, and then turned back to her phone. Moira sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, putting a hand on Thea's arm. "All right, listen to me. When you were four years old, you came home one day with a cat. It was a stray, it was filthy, and it was mean. But you stood there and you declared that it was coming to live with us. Your father came home from the office and he saw what was going on, and he sat you down and he explained to you that the cat was in fact a tiger and that we needed to get it home. And somehow you understood." Thea smiled slightly at the memory. "Robert was always so good at getting through to you." She continued. "I… I was always so jealous of that." She admitted.

"That was the first time you talked about dad in years." Thea said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I think we've both gotten into some bad habits over the years and I know I wasn't much of a mother to you. I was so caught up in my own grief and I wasn't there for you when you needed me to be." Moira said.

"I could've made it easier for you. I just wanted the pain to stop and drinking and drugs, that made it go away. And then I just couldn't stop." Thea said as Moira pulled her daughter into her arms.

"Thea, I understand you wanted the pain to end. But Oliver's back now and it's hurting us to watch you go through this. I know we can't go back to change things, but please, let's work on making a better future." Moira said.

"Okay, which dress would you prefer I wore." Thea said, since for the first time in years, she truly felt like her mother cared about her again.

Moira smiled as they began planning out her outfit.

* * *

Oliver had returned to Felicity's cubicle and was honestly thinking about talking to Walter about promoting her, since he what she could do and he knew her talents were being wasted.

"You called me?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, I managed to salvage some of the data on the hard drive." Felicity said as she pulled up images on to her screen.

"It looks like blueprints." She said.

"Do you know what of?" Oliver asked.

"The Exchange Building." Felicity said.

"Never heard of it." Oliver lied.

"It's where the Unidac industry's auction is scheduled to take place." Felicity explained, not knowing that Oliver already knew this.

"Thank you Felicity." Oliver said, since he didn't need to know the rest of the information he'd asked her for the first time.

"Can I ask you one thing?" Felicity asked.

"Depends on what it is?" Oliver asked.

"How did you get a computer from one of your family's company's rivals?" Felicity asked.

"Long story." Oliver said simply as he walked away.

* * *

Oliver had just finished getting ready to head to the auction when his elevator dinged, signifying that someone had just come up. Thinking it was Diggle, Oliver didn't give much thought to it until he saw who'd exited it. Laurel, who'd recently got her cast off, was standing the walkway, wearing a stunning silver dress.

"I didn't think you were gonna come." Oliver said.

"Well, I thought about it and I think I'm ready to go public with our new relationship to. Especially since Tommy seems to keep on hitting on me." Laurel said, rolling her eyes.

"Did you tell your dad about the tip I gave you?" Oliver asked, since he'd told Laurel about Warren Patel after he'd left Queen Consolidated.

"Yeah, though now he suspects I have a connection to the Green Arrow, which technically, I do." Laurel said.

"If he tries to use you to get to me, I will kill him. I'm sorry but if he puts you in danger." Oliver said.

"He wouldn't. Despite everything, he'd never put me in danger." Laurel said.

"I hope so. For his sake." Oliver said as he held out his arm, which Laurel then took.

"Let's go. And do you have your work clothes with you?" Laurel asked and Oliver nodded.

"It's designed to be easily concealable under my clothes for cases like this one." Oliver said, opening his dress shirt slightly to reveal his green arrow suit underneath.

"Nice." Laurel said as he buttoned his shirt back up and they headed out.


	14. Chapter 14

When Oliver and Laurel entered the venue, they were almost immediately cornered by Quentin Lance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Quentin asked.

"I think I'm supporting my family." Oliver said.

"The hell you are with my daughter on your arm." Quentin said.

"Dad, enough." Laurel said

"Do you want me to leave you two alone?" Oliver asked.

"Yes." Quentin said immediately.

"I meant for this conversation, not for the rest of my life." Oliver said, causing Laurel to roll her eyes at her father.

"I can handle this." Laurel assured him as Oliver and John left her alone with her father.

"What the hell are you doing with Queen? He killed your sister." Quentin snarled.

"No he didn't dad. All Oliver did was ask Sara to get on that boat with her. She's the one who said yes. And neither of them knew that the Gambit would go down." Laurel said.

"What?" Quentin asked.

"You heard me dad. You've spent so long solely blaming Oliver for what happened, maybe you should consider the fact that maybe Sara is a bit to blame to. And you're not the only who misses her. But was Oliver the one who drove mom away? Was Oliver the reason you became an alcoholic, no dad, those were all your choices that you've made and you've chosen to blame Oliver for all the problems in your life. I was angry at him to, but I can tell he's suffered enough for what happened and it's a waste of time and energy to keep being angry at him. Besides, he's different now and I want to give him another chance. If you want to keep being a part of my life, I suggest you get used to that." Laurel said as she walked away from him to rejoin Oliver and John.

"You okay?" Oliver asked her.

"Yeah, honestly, I think I've been holding that in for a while. My dad has blamed you for what happened for the past 5 years and before I could tolerate it, since I hated you to, but now that I know what you've been through, I can tell you've suffered enough." Laurel said as they heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Ollie." Thea said as she, Walter and Moira approached them.

"I thought you were grounded." Oliver asked Thea.

"I let her off the hook for tonight. Now, you two look awfully chummy." Moira said.

"We're back together." Laurel said and Thea practically squealed with joy.

"Congratulations, when did this happen?" Thea asked eagerly.

"The night after the Triad tried to kill me. We didn't tell anyone because we were still in the experimental phase, trying to see if we still worked well together." Laurel said.

"And?" Moira asked.

"And despite everything, we still do and this time, I don't plan on messing it up." Oliver said.

"Good. I take it your father noticed?" Moira asked Laurel.

"Yeah and he's taking it even worse then he did last time." Laurel said.

"I didn't think that was possible." Thea said.

"Neither did I." Oliver said dryly as suddenly, they heard shots fired throughout the crowd.

"Get my family to safety." Oliver shouted at John, who while he looked reluctant to do so, he understood and began moving to get Thea, Moira, Laurel and Walter to safety as Oliver moved to a different location where he removed his tux, revealing his Green Arrow suit beneath, pulling on his gloves, his hood and mask and moving to grab his bow and quiver from where he'd hidden them earlier before heading up to where the shots had come from, watching the cops take Warren Patel into custody as he did, also knowing that John had followed him, just like he had before.

* * *

Across the street, Deadshot was continuing to fire into the Exchange Building when suddenly The Green Arrow crashed through the window. He landed and rolled, ducking behind a column as Deadshot sprayed bullets from his wrist gun. Oliver returned fire, missing twice. There was silence as Lawton looked for a kill shot.

"Drop your guns." Green Arrow shouted.

I admire your work." Lawton replied. "Guess you won't be extending me any professional courtesy."

"We're not in the same line of work." Green Arrow snarled. "Your profession is murder."

"You've taken lives." Deadshot shot back.

"For the good of others." Green Arrow defended. "You're out for yourself."

Deadshot scoffed, then opened fire, spraying the column with bullets. As soon as the clip was empty, Green Arrow whipped around and fired, this time making sure to aim for the eye not protected by his eye piece, and then ducked back behind the column. He heard a body drop, and then waited a few more moments to be sure. Finally he peeked out-

And saw Deadshot on the ground, apparently dead, with an arrow through his eye.

He stared at the body for a moment, before a groan caught his attention. He whirled around to see Dig, slumping against a doorframe, wounded by a ricochet from Deadshot.

Without hesitation, Green Arrow ran over to him, put Digs' arm around his shoulders, and walked him out.

"Some things never change." Green Arrow said, making a note to call Laurel to ask her to meet him back at his apartment, since he was telling John in the same way as before.


	15. Chapter 15

When John came to, he found himself lying on the couch in Oliver's penthouse. Placing a hand on his head as he felt the headache coming, he groaned as he looked up to see Oliver, dressed up as the Green Arrow.

"Hey Dig." Oliver said.

"Oliver, you're the Green Arrow?" John asked before moving to punch him, but Oliver dodged it immediately and stopped John from running into a table.

"Easy John, you were poisoned." Oliver said, trying to calm him down.

"Son of a bitch." John said as he tried to punch Oliver again, only for Oliver to dodge again.

"I could have taken you anywhere, could have taken you home." He gestured around. "I brought you here." Oliver said, referring to his apartment.

"You really did lose your mind on that island." Diggle observed.

"Found a couple things along the way." Oliver replied.

Diggle scoffed. "Like what, archery classes?"

"Clarity." He stated, taking a step closer to Digg. "Star City is dying. It is being poisoned, by a criminal elite who don't care who they hurt, as long as they maintain their wealth and power." He espoused.

"You can't be serious." John said.

"He's not wrong John. Most of the people I represent at CNRI are people who have been hurt by the exact kind of people Ollie just described. They need someone to fight for them in a way the police either can't or won't. That's what Oliver's doing." Laurel said.

"What are you gonna do, take 'em all down by your lonesome?" Diggle asked scathingly.

"Now I want you do join me to." Oliver said.

Diggle scoffed, but Oliver continued. "Special Forces out of Kandahar. It's perfect." He looked at Diggle. "You're a fellow soldier." He stated.

Digg shook his head. "Oliver, you're not a soldier." He said. "You're a criminal. And a murderer." He spat.

"You're wrong on both counts Johnny." a new and familiar, at least to Oliver and John, voice said and John lost his breath for a moment as Lyla Michaels entered the room.

"Lyla, what are you doing here?" John asked.

"I called her. I figured I'd need help to convincing you, so I figured that your ex wife of all people could help with that." Oliver said.

"How do you know?" John asked.

"Because Oliver is ex Argus." Lyla said, causing John to look at Oliver in a new light.

"You worked for Argus?" John asked.

"Unwillingly, I take it you're familiar with Amanda Waller?" Oliver asked.

"I've heard of her." John said.

"Oliver was recruited into Argus his third year away after he'd previously stopped two other madmen from committing unspeakable acts of horror. First he was in Hong Kong where he helped secure a bioweapon from the Triad and then prevented a rogue US general from releasing the weapon in China, then he helped Argus take down a shadowspire operation on Lian Yu and most recently, he stopped Konstantin Kovar from launching a military coup in Russia. He's a hero." Lyla said.

"And why does no one about this?" John asked, now thinking that maybe he'd been a bit too rash to judge Oliver.

"Because it was all off the books. I'd like to keep it that way, since if people found out, they'd figure out who I am and that would put my family in danger." Oliver said and John nodded.

"Does Laurel know?" John asked him.

"She found out the night I stopped those triad thugs from killing her. She's one of the few people who know my secret. And now you do to. And part of the reason I want to join me is to help me save not only my city, but also what's left of my humanity." Oliver said, since that was the reason John had signed on in the first place.

"I'm in." John said.

"Good, because you know the shooter from last night." Oliver asked.

"Yeah, why?" John asked.

"His bullets were laced with Curare." Oliver said simply.

"Andy's killer." John realized and Oliver nodded.

"His name was Floyd Lawton and as of last night, he's permanently paying for he did in hell." Oliver said.

"You got Andy's killer?" John asked and Oliver nodded.

"I did." Oliver said.

"Thank you." John said and Oliver smiled.

"You're welcome." Oliver said and John then turned to Lyla.

"Can I walk you out?" John asked and Lyla nodded, causing Oliver to smile, since he bet on Lyla getting pregnant by the time he'd stopped the Undertaking.


	16. Chapter 16

Oliver had finally gotten his club up and running and more importantly, he'd also begun to get a usable lair set up in the basement, which is good because Laurel was still insistent he train her and now he had a proper place to do that.

He'd also moved his suit out of his apartment, since it was too risky that someone might locate them there, though he still kept a bow and quiver hidden there.

Anyways, Oliver and John were sparring with the escrima sticks and Oliver was taking it easy on John, when suddenly, Laurel came in.

"What brings you here?" Oliver asked as he and John paused in their sparring.

"Someone just killed Adam Hunt in prison." Laurel said.

"So, he's a guy who made a lot of enemies inside a prison with several of them. What's the big deal about that?" John asked, but Oliver was on full alert, in case this was what he thought it was.

"No John, he was killed by arrows. Arrows very familiar to the ones the Green Arrow uses." Laurel said.

"Someone's trying to set you up." John said and Oliver nodded.

"The question is, who. I mean in this line of work, I have no shortage of enemies, but which one what's to frame me." Oliver said.

"Doesn't matter if the police think you're a killer." John said.

"I am a killer. But not the killer they're looking for this time." Oliver said and both John and Laurel decided not to argue with him on that.

"Laurel, I need you to go to SCPD and see if you can get any arrows forensics pulled." Oliver said.

"I'll also see if I can get my dad to spill anything." Laurel said and Oliver nodded as she walked out.

"You sure this is a good idea having Laurel put her relationship with her dad on the line for this?" John asked.

"I asked her if she was willing to take that risk when I first brought her into the fold. She told me she was. She knows the risks and she's willing to take it." Oliver said and John nodded.

"Just so long as she's aware of the risk and you're not making her do this." John said and Oliver chuckled.

"Trust me John, no one makes Laurel Lance do anything she doesn't want to do." Oliver assured him and John chuckled as well.

* * *

It had actually been a bit too easy for Laurel to steal an arrow from the evidence locker, much to her concern.

"Laurel, what are you doing here?" Quentin asked as he saw her on her way out.

"Can't a daughter drop by to say hello to her father?" Laurel asked.

"What do you want?" Quentin asked knowingly and Laurel sighed.

"I heard about the Adam Hunt murder." Laurel said

"And you're here to convince us it wasn't this Green Arrow as he calls himself." Quentin said and Laurel rolled his eyes.

"Hunt was already paying for his crimes. The Green Arrow has only targeted people who've used their wealth to avoid justice." Laurel said.

"Yeah well, maybe he's changing things up." Quentin said and Laurel sighed.

"I should've known this was a lost cause." Laurel said as she walked away from her father, who was unaware that she'd stolen one of the arrows from evidence.

* * *

"So, did this arrow help?" Laurel asked as Oliver examined it.

"Teflon-coated titanium blade serrated to split the bone. Shaft is some type of specialized polymer, which is stronger than a typical carbon fiber. This…this is a custom job." Oliver said.

"So, what? Any ideas?" John asked.

"Plenty, but I'm gonna take this to someone at Queen Consolidated to see if they can help narrow it down." Oliver said.

"Who?" Laurel asked.

"Felicity Smoak. She helped me track down Deadshot and I think she might be an asset." Oliver said.

"Really?" Laurel asked, raising an eyebrow and causing Oliver to roll her eyes.

"She's got useful skills. That's it Laurel. Honestly, she's not really my type. Too timid." Oliver said, remembering how in the previous reality, he'd actually married Felicity, a mistake he wasn't planning on making again, since while they may have made a good couple for a time, he knew now that it never truly would've lasted.

"Okay then." Laurel said as Oliver slipped the arrow into a plastic tube and headed out.


	17. Chapter 17

Felicity was currently in her cubicle in the IT Department at Queen Consolidated when Oliver approached her, lightly tapping on the wall to get her attention.

"Hey." He said finally, causing her to jump in her seat.

"Don't you knock?" she asked, recovering her composure.

"You're forgetting who's name it is on the building." Oliver said, not understanding how he'd always turned a blind eye to her attitude before. Love was a weird thing sometimes.

"Sorry." Felicity apologized.

"It's fine. Anyways, "My buddy Steve is really into archery." Oliver began. "Apparently it's all the rage now."

"I don't know why. It's looks utterly ridiculous to me." Felicity mumbled. Oliver smiled thinly.

"Mm-hmm." He said non-committal. "Anyway, it's Steve's birthday next weekend, and I wanted to buy him some arrows." He opened the tube and withdrew the arrow. "The thing is, he gets these special custom-made arrows, and I have no idea where he gets them." He held up the arrow; Felicity looked at it; fear, trepidation, curiosity and excitement playing over her face. "I was hoping you could find out where this came from." As he held out the arrow for her to take she had a feeling, deep down, that one she took the arrow, there was no going back.

Oliver seemed to know it, too. "Careful." He cautioned as she reached out for it. Felicity smiled in excitement.

Yeah." She agreed, delicately taking it. She looked it over; down near the end of the arrow she found a stamp, almost invisible. "The shaft's composite is patented." She noted, turning to her computer. She searched briefly before looking up at him triumphantly. "And that patent is registered to a company called Sagittarius." She said, handing him back the arrow. "That's Latin for the archer." She added needlessly.

"Really? Could you find out where and when this was purchased?" Oliver asked casually, slipping the arrow back into the tube.

"According to Sagittarius company records, that particular arrow was part of a bundle shipment." She wrote something down on a piece of paper. "Sent to this address." She tore the piece of paper from the pad and handed it to Oliver.

"Thank you Felicity. And by the way, I'm talking to Walter. I think your talents are being wasted down here." Oliver said as he walked away, since he honestly did think that Felicity was meant for more than just being an IT girl.

* * *

Oliver investigated the address Felicity had provided him with, but just like before, it had been a trap, but this time, he skillfully avoided it.

"So, the address was a dead end?" John asked Oliver re entered the foundry.

"It was a trap. Whoever is killing people is clearly trying to draw me out. I have to wait until they make their next move." Oliver said and John nodded, right as Laurel entered the foundry.

"And they just made it. The other archer took hostages, it just made the news." Laurel said, turning on the TV Oliver had put in the foundry, revealing a newscast of the same woman and other hostages Merlyn had taken the first time.

"Hello Star City. For the past few months, this city has been laid siege by a vigilante. But the police have been unable to bring him to justice because they lack the will to do what justice demands.' She sobbed. 'I will kill one hostage every hour in the name of this vigilante until he surrenders himself to my authority."

"This guy wants me, he'll get me." Oliver said, moving to check his quiver.

"Oliver, this obviously a trap." John said.

"I know and that's never stopped me before. Those people are in there because of me. Besides, the city sees the Green Arrow as a criminal. Maybe it's time I finally start working to change that. Show them that I really am trying to help them." Oliver said.

"That's actually pretty inspiring." Laurel said.

"I'm gonna find out who it is that did this and take them down." Oliver said as he headed out, already knowing exactly where he was going.

* * *

When Green Arrow arrived at the scene, he found the police were already attempting to gain access to the building, but he just quickly arrived on the scene by sliding on a cable to the roof and entering that way, finding the hostages exactly where they were the first time.

"It's okay, I'll get you out of here." Green Arrow said as he used a flechette to cut them free.

"Get to the roof now. I'll take care of the other archer." Green Arrow said to the hostages after he freed the last of them, who nodded and ran up to the roof while he headed down to the factory, where Malcolm was waiting for him.

"Thank you for coming. After the warehouse, I knew I'd have to do something dramatic to get your attention." Dark Archer said.

"You should've tried to avoid it. You're in over your head." Green Arrow said.

"Really, and why's that?" Dark Archer asked.

"You're outmatched." Green Arrow said as he fired a flash arrow to blind Malcolm and then lunged at him while he was distracted, hitting him with his bow.

"Lucky shot." Dark Archer said.

"I'm just getting started." Green Arrow said as the two continued fighting, but this time, Oliver was the one with the upperhand, since this time, he not only had experience from the five years he was gone, but also from the 7 years he was a vigilante before. Malcolm didn't have a chance.

"It's over." Green Arrow said after a short battle which ended with him tossing Malcolm over his shoulder.

"How did you beat me?" Malcolm asked as he struggled to get up as Green Arrow punched him back down before hoisting him up and removing his hood.

"Do it. Kill me." Malcolm said, preferring to die and let his plans continue on than live in defeat.

"No. I won't kill you. And not out of mercy. But simply because you're more useful to me alive." Green Arrow snarled, since he'd broken into Unidac Industries a week after Queen Consolidated and gotten all the plans on the Undertaking he needed.

"What do you mean?" Malcolm asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." Green Arrow said as he jammed a tranq arrow into Malcolm, knocking him out.


	18. Chapter 18

"So wait, Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy's dad and the CEO of Merlyn Global, is the other archer who killed Adam Hunt and took several hostages?" Laurel asked.

"And that's not all. I broke into Unidac Industries a few weeks ago and found this." Oliver said as he pulled up the specs of the earthquake machine.

"Why did you break into Unidac Industries?" John asked.

"Because my family's company owns it and I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything that could damage it inside Unidac, which is why I was very concerned when I found these plans." Oliver said, bringing their attention to the device.

"What is this?" Laurel asked.

"If my guess is correct, it's a device designed to create a manmade earthquake. Something that should never be developed." Oliver said, much to John and Laurel's horror.

"What makes you think this is connected to Merlyn?" John asked.

"Call it a hunch. I'll ask him when he wakes up." Oliver said.

"Why didn't you just kill him?" Laurel asked.

"He still has his uses. Including getting him to confess to everything, since killing him would just further brand me a criminal. We need to destroy his reputation first." Oliver said.

"And how are you going to get him to confess?" John asked.

"With this." Oliver said, holding out a vial of something.

"What is that? Truth serum?" Laurel asked.

"Not exactly. It's a KGB interrogation drug called the Red death. It'll make all the pain Malcolm's endured over the years, and by that I mean physical pain, feel like it was fresh. Believe me, I've experienced it's effects first hand and while it may not be pleasant, it can be effective." Oliver said.

"You sure you want to cross that line and torture someone?" John asked.

"You act like I've never crossed it before. This isn't the first time I've interrogated someone." Oliver said.

"Still, torture?" Laurel asked.

"I don't want to do this, but something tells me it's the only way Malcolm will come clean." Oliver said as he flipped his hood up, put on his mask and turned on his voice modulator before moving over to the cell he had Malcolm locked up in.

"What do you want?" Malcolm asked as he came to when water was splashed on him.

"I'm only going to ask you this once. Confess to your sins. Now." Green Arrow said.

"I have nothing to confess to." Malcolm snarled and Green Arrow sighed.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." Green Arrow said as he approached Malcolm.

"You think that torture will work?" Malcolm asked.

"Physical torture, no. Psychological torture, yes." Green Arrow said.

"What do you mean?" Malcolm asked as he noticed the syringe.

"This is a little concoction known as the Red Death. It'll make every bit of pain you've endured over the years feel like it's fresh. Do you honestly think you can handle that pain?" Green Arrow asked.

"Do your worst. I will never crack." Malcolm said.

"If you insist." Green Arrow said as he injected Malcolm with the drug.

* * *

After a few hours, Oliver returned, still disguised as Green Arrow and he took some satisfaction in the way Malcolm looked now, since in his opinion, after everything Malcolm did and was going to do, he deserved this pain.

"Ready to start talking?" Green Arrow asked as he prepared his recorder.

"I did it." Malcolm said as Green Arrow turned on the recorder as he heard Malcolm confess to everything. The kidnappings, Adam Hunt's murder and then he even went as far as confessing to his plan about the Undertaking, though Oliver was relieved that he never mentioned his mother, and then, to his joy, Malcolm also confessed to sabotaging the Queen's Gambit. He then shut off the recorder before walking up to him.

"Thank you Malcolm." Green Arrow said as he then injected him with another liquid.

"What's that?" Malcolm asked.

"Antidote. I'm not heartless like you. And your plan will never work." Green Arrow said.

"The people in the Glades deserve to die for not helping Rebecca." Malcolm said.

"And so do you. Your wife called you when she was shot, but you ignored it. Her death is on your head to and she would be ashamed of what you're doing in her name." Green Arrow said angrily as he then tranq'd Malcolm again, since he still had one more use to him.

* * *

"Malcolm killed your dad and my sister and you still let him live?" Laurel asked Oliver when he returned.

"Only because he has one more use to me. The people who trained him will be very upset when they find out what he did. So I'm going to offer him up to them on a silver platter, since they are the kind of people it comes in handy to have owing you favor." Oliver said.

"Smart." John said.

"Yeah, so I'll be out of town for a few days while I take him there, in the meantime, Laurel, I need you to leak this confession and the information from Unidac to the police. Hopefully everyone will then assume that the Green Arrow killed him." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as he handed her the recording.

"What do we tell your family?" John asked.

"Tell them I'm visiting a friend in Central City." Oliver said and they both nodded as they went their separate ways, since none of them had any idea that Oliver did not intend on returning to Star City alone.


	19. Chapter 19

When Oliver arrived at Nanda Parbat, he found the League's guards waiting for him.

"One warning. Turn back or be killed." one of the league said, only to have Oliver throw Malcolm down at their feet.

"I need to have words with Ra's al Ghul regarding with his former warrior." Oliver said and the League looked stunned, unsure of what to do.

"Let him pass." A familiar voice said and Oliver saw Maseo looking at him, a bit of amusement on his face.

"What are you doing here Oliver?" Sarab asked.

"Malcolm had plans to violate the League's principles, I came here to ensure he faces justice for those actions." Oliver said and Sarab nodded.

"I will take you both to Ra's al Ghul so he may hear you out." Sarab agreed and Oliver nodded as he shoved Malcolm forward, since now that they'd left the city and Malcolm was most likely going to die, it didn't matter if he knew Oliver's identity.

"What happened to you Oliver?" Malcolm asked.

"Everything I am is because of what you did. And now you're finally going to suffer for it." Oliver said they entered the throne room and Oliver heard a gasp and he turned to see Sara Lance standing near the throne.

"Ollie?" Sara asked.

"Sara, you're alive." Oliver said, shocked as Malcolm also looked at her in shock.

"Yeah, the League rescued me after the Amazo. They saved me and I swore my allegiance to them." Sara said and Oliver could tell that she wanted a way out of the League now as much as she did the first time, and hopefully, he was about to provide her with that.

"What do you want Oliver Queen?" Ra's asked Oliver.

"Your former warrior Malcolm Merlyn has disgraced the League." Oliver said as he played Malcolm's confession for him and Ra's looked furious.

"You dare break our code Al Sah Her. You know you never would've gotten away with this." Ra's demanded.

"Those people deserve to suffer for what happened to my wife." Malcolm said.

"Those people are innocent. We don't take lives without purpose." Ra's said angrily.

"I stopped him for you and brought him to you, since you're the one who'd probably have the most reason to kill him." Oliver said and Ra's nodded.

"I thank you for this Oliver Queen." Ra's said.

"But, he comes at a price." Oliver said and Ra's didn't even look surprised.

"As all things of value do. So tell me, what do you want in exchange for him?" Ra's asked.

"Sara's freedom. She should be allowed to choose her own path." Oliver said and Ra's considered for a moment. He'd always known that the day would come when he'd have to release Sara from his service and it appeared that day had come.

Sara looked at Ra's hopefully, since if she was given the opportunity to leave the League, she would take it.

"Very well Oliver Queen. I can sense the division that lies within Ta-er al-Sahfer between her ability to kill and her desire to show mercy. And while she has served me well, there is no place within the League for so conflicted." Ra's said, ignoring his daughter's shocked look as he turned to Sara.

"Ta-er al-Sahfer, I release you. You may reclaim your previous name and your past life." Ra's said.

"Thank you my liege." Sara said, relieved that she was finally free.

Oliver smiled, since Laurel and Quentin were never going to believe this.

"Sara, come on, I'll take you home." Oliver said as they left Malcolm at Ra's mercy and walked out.

"What are my family going to say when they see me again." Sara asked.

"Well, Laurel and I patched things up and while she might be angry at first, she'll be happy to see you and your dad will be relieved you're alive." Oliver assured her.

"And my mom?" Sara asked.

"I don't know, she left your family after the accident." Oliver said.

"Great, one more thing to feel bad about." Sara said.

"Come on, I have a lot to bring you up to speed on and I'll do it on the flight back." Oliver said and Sara nodded.

"Hey, think we can get me some real clothes on the way back?" Sara asked, since she was still wearing her league gear.

"No problem." Oliver said with a smile as they made it to the outside of Nanda Parbat, neither of them planning on ever returning again.

* * *

 **So, Sara's back and she's heading home. Sorry if this feels a little early, but I thought Sara coming home would be the perfect Christmas present for her family.**


	20. Chapter 20

When they returned to Star City, Oliver asked John and Laurel to meet him at the foundry.

"So, was your trip a success?" John asked.

"Yep, Malcolm is facing justice for his actions as we speak." Oliver said.

"Speaking of which, that confession has completely destroyed Malcolm's rep." Laurel said.

"I need to talk to mom and Walter about buying Merlyn Global." Oliver said offhandedly.

"So, is that all you wanted to tell us?" Laurel asked.

"No actually, I wanted to let you know that I actually ended up using the favor for turning Malcolm in already." Oliver said.

"How?" John asked.

"To bring me home." Sara said as she walked out from where she'd been hiding and Oliver prayed that this time Laurel had a better reaction to Sara's return this time than she had before.

"Sara, is that really you?" Laurel asked, since she'd dreamed about this before.

"It's me Laurel. I am so sorry about what I did to you. It's unforgivable, but I hope that someday you can forgive me." Sara said as Laurel walked up to her sister and Oliver and John watched this closely.

"Not someday Sara. today." Laurel said as she pulled her little sister into a hug and cried tears of joy and after Sara got over her shock at Laurel's forgiveness, she hugged her back.

"I missed you so much Sara." Laurel said between her tears.

"I missed you to. But why aren't you furious with me?" Sara asked.

"Oh don't get me wrong, once I get over my relief you're alive, I probably will yell at you, but right now, I'm just so relieved to have you back. Besides, if Oliver's scars are any indication, you've probably suffered enough for what happened." Laurel explained and Sara hugged her sister even tighter at that.

When they finally broke apart, Laurel turned to Oliver.

"Why didn't you tell me she was alive?" Laurel asked.

"Because I didn't know until she got my attention in Nanda Parbat. As soon as she explained to me what happened, I knew what I had to do. I traded Merlyn to the League of Assassins for Sara's freedom." Oliver said.

"League of Assassins?" John asked.

"It's a long story." Sara said as she wiped her own tears away.

"You can tell me later. But Ollie, thank you." Laurel said.

"I told you if I could bring her back, I would. This was just me keeping my promise." Oliver said as Laurel kissed him.

"I'm glad you two are back together and this time, I won't interfere. Now I just need to figure out how to tell mom and dad I'm alive." Sara said.

"We can tell dad tonight at my apartment. Maybe you can get him to lie off Ollie." Laurel said.

"I'll try." Sara said.

"Oh Sara, I could use a partner." Oliver said.

"I'm in. It'll be nice to use my skills for something besides killing people." Sara said and Oliver nodded.

"Just, one tip, you look better in white then black." Oliver said and Sara considered that.

"White Canary huh. I like it." Sara said and Oliver smiled.

"I'll call my friend who made my suit, see if he can make you one to." Oliver said, knowing that Cisco had already made a White Canary suit for Sara, though this one had a mask, since Sara needed to keep her identity a secret.

"Great. Now, Laurel, any chance I can crash with you?" Sara asked.

"I have a spare room that's all yours." Laurel assured her.

"Thanks." Sara said, still surprised that Laurel was so quick to welcome her back into her life, though she was relieved and Oliver was relieved that she wasn't taking Sara's return as bad as she had last time, but then again, that time, Laurel's life had basically fallen apart before and this time it hadn't.

"Good luck telling your dad." Oliver said.

"Thanks, I'll need it." Sara said as the Lance sisters walked out.

"You do realize Lance will have to forgive you now for this." John said to Oliver with a chuckle.

"Yep. But I owed the Lance family a debt, hopefully now that I've brought Sara, I've paid it." Oliver said.

"I'm sure you probably have, but maybe now you can take it easy for the holidays." John said and Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, I'm actually throwing a little party for my first Christmas back and now it's also going to serve as a welcome home party for Sara." Oliver said and John nodded.

* * *

"Okay, why exactly did you want me to come here tonight?" Quentin asked as he entered his daughter's apartment.

"Just thought you'd like to see the early Christmas gift Ollie gave me." Laurel said.

"And why would I want to see anything that bastard got you?" Quentin asked.

"Because it was also a gift to you dad." Sara said as she entered the room from the kitchen.

"Sara, is this real?" Quentin asked.

"It's really her dad. I guess Oliver's been looking for any signs of her survival since he came back and he finally found one. That's why he left town." Laurel said.

"He found me in Tibet. After the Gambit went down, I suffered major head trauma and had complete amnesia. The tibet sailors who found me brought me back with them. I only started remembering after I saw the newscast that Oliver was alive." Sara said, since she and Oliver had been working on her cover story on the flight back home.

"So that's why you never called." Quentin said.

"Yeah. Sort of hard to call when you don't remember who you're calling." Sara agreed as her father finally hugged her.

"I'm so relieved to have you back baby." Quentin said.

"Then stop blaming Oliver for my choice. I was the one who chose to get on that boat, he didn't make me do it." Sara said and Quentin sighed.

"He shouldn't have invited you on that boat in the first place." Quentin said.

"I shouldn't have said yes. Besides, holding onto the past won't change it. The important thing is that I'm back." Sara said.

"You're right. I was out of line with not only Queen, but his little sister and his whole family." Quentin said.

"Well I know Ollie's planning a holiday party at his penthouse and it's also a welcome home party for Sara to. You can apologize to him then. I'm gonna call mom and tell her to come out here." Laurel said and Quentin nodded, honestly happy that he'd finally begun to let go of all the anger he'd been keeping bundled up over the past 5 years.


	21. Chapter 21

**This chapter will include a little surprise for Oliver and will also show another change in reality.**

* * *

A few days after he returned from Nanda Parbat, Oliver got a call from Cisco.

"Hey, what's up?" Oliver asked.

"Hey, listen, the particle accelerator is actually going to be turned on this weekend, apparently Wells was able to start building it earlier on this time, but because of that, I was hoping you could do me a favor?" Cisco asked.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"DeVoe. He uses the energy from the accelerator explosion to power his thinking cap, which turns him into the Thinker and also later causes the creation of Cicada." Cisco said.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Oliver asked.

"I need you to destroy his thinking cap. You do that and the Thinker can never be born, which means that the Enlightenment doesn't happen, which means Cicada is never born." Cisco said.

"I'll head out to Central City tonight. Sara and Laurel's mother is out there, so I can offer for them to come with me and we can also pick up Sara's white canary suit." Oliver said.

"Great. I can't wait for the Flash to get back in action. I'm tired of pretending to tolerate Wells." Cisco said and Oliver could understand.

"Well, once Barry gets his speed, you can help him get more than fast enough to stop Thawne and considering I have some experience with Barry's speed now, I can help train him if necessary." Oliver said.

"Guess a couple of good things came out of Elseworlds after all." Cisco said.

"Yeah, but I still could've done without it." Oliver said, though without Elseworlds, he never would've had this chance at virtually a do over of his life.

* * *

It had taken little convincing to get Sara and Laurel to join him to Central City, though Oliver was hoping to get in and out of the city before the accelerator went off since he had no desire for powers. He was a self made hero, not a metahuman.

"So, where we are we going first?" Laurel asked.

"Well, you two can meet up with your mom, I have something I need to focus on alone." Oliver said and though he was tempted to see William while he was in Central City, he knew the best thing for his son was for him to stay away. He didn't like it, but William was better off without him in his life. He needed to keep him away, for his and his mother's safety.

"What is it?" Sara asked.

"Green Arrow business that does not require a partner." Oliver said.

"Can we stay a few extra days, I want to see the accelerator turn on." Laurel said.

"You can, but I plan on leaving the city before it turns on." Oliver said, since he honestly did not have a problem with Laurel getting the same powers as both Dinah and Black Siren, he did not want to get powers himself.

"Have fun doing whatever it is you're doing." Sara said as she and her sister headed towards their mother's apartment, while Oliver began heading to Jitters, since that was where he'd arranged to meet with Cisco to get the information he needed about DeVoe when he accidentally bumped into someone, causing them to drop what they were holding.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Oliver said as he crouched down to help her pick up the papers she drop, but to his surprise, he found a very familiar face looking back at him.

"It's no problem. After all, we all make mistakes." Kara Danvers said and Oliver swore for a minute he could see a bit of recognition in her eyes before it faded.

"Can we talk privately for a minute?" Oliver asked and Kara nodded as they walked into an alley.

"Do you remember ever seeing my face in person before today?" Oliver asked.

"The last time I saw your face was before I flew off trying to slow down time." Kara said and that confirmed Oliver's suspicions. This was the same Kara Danvers he knew. How that was possible, he didn't know, but for now he didn't care.

"Kara." Oliver said.

"Oliver, it's nice to see a familiar face, what the hell happened?" Kara asked.

"Why don't you tell me. What's the last thing you remember before waking up in this new reality?" Oliver asked.

"I'd just burned myself up trying to turn back time and then the next thing I know, I'm waking up in here in Central City, on Earth One, 7 years into the past and I have no idea how." Kara said.

"I think I can shed some light on that." Oliver said, causing Kara to look at him.

"How?" Kara asked.

"After you and Barry left, I went to the Monitor to see if he could change your fates. After a long conversation I don't feel like discussing, he gave me an arrow that could destroy the book of destiny, but it also had another function." Oliver said.

"It let you rewrite reality one more time." Kara realized and Oliver nodded.

"Yeah and the monitor explained to me that since you, Clark, Brainy, Lois and J'onn were all on Earth One when the reality change happened, it somehow caused our earths to fuse together, altering all our timelines." Oliver explained.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in." Kara said.

"Yeah, but Kara, I need to know, will you try to undo this?" Oliver asked.

"Even if I could, which I'm pretty sure I can't, I wouldn't. This means that my aunt is still alive, I have a chance to fix the mistakes of my past." Kara said.

"Glad we're on the same page." Oliver said.

"So what brings you to Central City anyways?" Kara asked.

"I'm helping Cisco out with something, since somehow he retained his powers through the shift and that caused him to also remember the real reality. I'm meeting him at Jitters and since you haven't become Supergirl yet, maybe you could talk to him about making your suit." Oliver said and Kara nodded.

"Not a bad idea. Though I'm still trying to figure out why the company I work for, Catco Worldwide Media is based in Central City instead of National City." Kara said.

"New reality means a new timeline, which means that something must've happened to change where it was established, but on the bright side, it means that you're closer to a certain future scarlet speedster." Oliver said with a smug smile as they began walking.

"Is it that obvious?" Kara asked and Oliver chuckled.

"A bit. You've had feelings for Barry for awhile haven't you?" Oliver asked and Kara sighed.

"Yes, okay, I have, but he was always pining after someone else and we lived on different earths. Although I guess both of those problems have been fixed." Kara said and Oliver laughed.

"Come on, let's go meet Cisco." Oliver said and Kara nodded.

* * *

 **Bam, original Kara is here to and yes, she is interested in Barry. I'm planning on doing a spinoff regarding that relationship. I know people were hoping that either Kara or Barry would also appear in this universe and now Kara has and I promise soon Barry will follow.**


	22. Chapter 22

Cisco was surprised when Oliver entered Jitters with someone else.

"Oliver, who is this?" Cisco asked, playing dumb.

"You can drop the act Cisco. She's like us. She remembers." Oliver told him and Cisco dropped the act and pulled Kara into a hug.

"So, what exactly is going on here?" Kara asked.

"I asked Oliver to help me take down one of Barry's greatest enemies before he can even become that." Cisco said.

"You mean by killing him?" Kara assumed.

"Actually no. By destroying the thing that turns into DeVoe into the Thinker, we not only stop him, be also prevent another one of his greatest enemies, Cicada, from being born to." Cisco said and Kara nodded.

"Okay, I'm in. Where do we go?" Kara asked.

"This is DeVoe's address and this what you're looking for." Cisco said, showing them an image of DeVoe's thinking cap.

"So, we destroy this and prevent the Thinker from being born." Kara said.

"Exactly. And the accelerator is going off in a few days, we need to hurry." Cisco said and Kara and Oliver nodded.

"Let's go." Oliver said and Kara nodded as they began to walk out.

"Oh and Cisco, after that, I need to talk to you about designing my suit, since while the guy who did it originally was great, if my understanding is correct, everyone on this earth prefers you to make their suits and I want to see what you can do for mine." Kara said and Cisco grinned.

"Absolutely." Cisco said, honestly excited about getting to make Supergirl's suit this time, since it was honestly the one suit he'd been dying to make, but knew that she didn't need him to make her suit before but now she did.

"We need to get moving." Oliver said and Kara nodded as they left Jitters.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Kara asked as they stood outside the currently empty DeVoe house.

"I'm better trained in the art of infiltration than you, but you can be my eyes and ears. Let me know if they come back and also see if you can point out where the cap is." Oliver said and Kara nodded.

"Copy that. It's nice to be teaming up again." Kara said.

"We should do it more often and don't you dare tell anyone I said that." Oliver said and Kara rolled her eyes as Oliver put his mask, not his Green Arrow gear on, since he did not need the city thinking the Green Arrow was a thief.

"Good luck." Kara said.

"Let's do this." Oliver said.

"Also see if you can grab DeVoe's plans for the cap so we can destroy them as well." Kara said as Oliver nodded as he moved to enter the house through the window and then quickly disabling the alarm thanks to a device Cisco gave him.

"Where am I going here Kara?" Oliver asked as he moved through the house.

"Looks like it's in the safe hidden in the master bedroom." Kara said she x ray visioned the house.

"Got it." Oliver said as he headed up there and easily cracked the safe before taking not only the Thinking Cap, but also the plans for it out of the safe.

"I got what I came for." Oliver said as he moved to escape through the bedroom window with a cable arrow and then reactivating the alarm.

"Nice job." Kara said as she joined Oliver.

"Yep, now get rid of this junk." Oliver said.

"Gladly." Kara said as she used her super strength to crush the cap beyond repair and used her heat vision to burn the plans to ash.

"Hopefully that will put an end to the Thinker." Oliver said and Kara nodded as they headed out.


	23. Chapter 23

"Nice work." Cisco said to Oliver and Kara as they met up at his apartment.

"Yep, the thinking cap is destroyed." Oliver said.

"But what's to stop DeVoe from building another one?" Kara asked.

"It wasn't him who built it, it was his wife who did it and Marlize turned on her husband when she realized what he really wanted." Cisco said.

"So, you want to break them up earlier?" Kara asked.

"Essentially yes. Honestly, DeVoe tried to change Marlize from an optimist into a pessimist like him. She deserves better." Cisco explained.

"I'll see if I can help you then." Kara said.

"Look, I wish you the best of luck, but I think I'm going to head home. Laurel and Sara decided they want to stay for the accelerator turning on, but I got my fill of being a metahuman from Elseworlds." Oliver said.

"Wait, I just thought of something, doesn't Thawne have this place under surveillance?" Kara asked.

"Don't worry, the first thing I did when I became aware of this new reality was get his Gideon to send false footage from here, so we're good." Cisco assured them.

"Nice. But anyways, I wish you the best of luck and Kara, think about what I said when we first met in this reality. And also, I think Central City is going to end up needing you soon." Oliver said and Kara nodded, causing Cisco to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Hey, any chance we'll end up getting two canaries with a sonic cry?" Cisco asked Oliver.

"I certainly wouldn't mind if that happened." Oliver admitted, since both Laurel and Sara having sonic cries could be very helpful, assuming Sara stuck around this time.

"See you guys soon." Oliver said as he moved to leave.

* * *

"So, Ollie's sure he doesn't want to watch the accelerator turn on?" Sara asked Laurel as she got off the phone with him.

"Apparently he could only spare the weekend here in Central City. He needed to get to oversee his club's construction and he didn't think it was a good idea to leave Star City without it's protector for too long. Not to mention his Christmas party which I promised we would be back in time for, since you're the guest of honor." Laurel said.

"We'll be back after the accelerator turns on. They say it will change the world." Sara said.

"Maybe. Let's just hope that change is for the better." Laurel said and Sara nodded.

"I'm gonna go hit the town. I'll be back later." Sara said and Laurel nodded as she watched Sara leave.

* * *

Sara was currently sitting in a bar, having a drink of scotch when she noticed a very attractive young woman sitting next to her.

"Hey, you look like you're trying to make something go away." Sara said to the woman.

"Yeah, I just got out of a serious relationship." the woman said.

"Wow, what happened, you catch him cheating?" Sara asked.

"Her and yes. I thought we could build a life together, but she seemed to be looking for a way to bolt." the woman said.

"I'm sorry, I think we've been drinking a bit too much to consider sharing this much without at least telling each other our names." Sara said.

"Fair point." the woman said.

"I'm Sara Lance." Sara said, holding out her hand to the other woman.

"I'm Alex Danvers." Alex said, shaking her hand.

"So, I've told you my story, you're turn." Alex said.

"Just came back from the dead a few days ago. I was visiting my mom with my sister and thought I'd see what passed for fun around here." Sara said

"Interesting. Sounds like we had different intentions when we came here tonight." Alex said and Sara smiled.

"Well, doesn't mean we can't have some fun together." Sara said.

"I guess not." Alex said, wondering if she was ready to put herself back out there so soon, but honestly, it was probably the alcohol talking, but she was thinking to hell with it.

* * *

 **Yes, this will eventually turn into Agent Canary, since I do ship that pairing.**


	24. Chapter 24

Ever since he left Central City, Oliver kept tabs on it and sure enough, the accelerator had exploded just like it had before and he'd called Cisco and sure enough, Barry was once again in a coma. Oliver just hoped that Kara had taken his advice before the explosion.

He'd also checked in with Laurel and Sara after the explosion and confirmed that both of them were unharmed and Sara had also picked up her new suit from Cisco shortly afterwards. Now, he just needed to find out if either of them had been affected by the explosion.

He hoped that soon, Supergirl was be making her return and technically, her debut on Earth One. Anyways, right now, he was more focused on his Christmas/Welcome home/Birthday party for Sara, since there wasn't really anything he could do about Central City.

"You're here early." Oliver said to Laurel when she entered his apartment.

"Are you honestly complaining about that?" Laurel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not. You're always welcome here." Oliver said.

"Well then, maybe you wouldn't mind if I started moving some of my stuff here?" Laurel asked nervously.

"Why not make it all your stuff." Oliver said with a smile, surprising her.

"You're serious?" Laurel asked and Oliver nodded.

"I'm not the same person I was the last time you brought this up Laurel. This time, I am ready for this." Oliver said.

"You're sure you're ready?" Laurel asked, needing to make sure he was serious about this.

"Do you honestly think I would've bought an apartment this size if I was planning on staying here alone forever?" Oliver asked and Laurel smiled.

"Okay, I'll start moving in after Christmas." Laurel said with a smile as they kissed.

"Now, it's my turn to ask you an annoying question." Oliver said.

"I'm fine Oliver. Really. Sara and I both met with a doctor when we got back to Star City and they cleared us. We're fine." Laurel said and while Oliver nodded, she could tell he didn't fully believe her, but let it go for now.

* * *

"This place looks incredible Oliver." Moira said as she, Walter and Thea entered Oliver's apartment to find he'd really gone for the full Christmas feel.

"Probably more festive than the mansion is now." Oliver said with a smile.

"He isn't wrong mom. Maybe we should start celebrating again." Thea said and Moira smiled.

"You're probably right Thea. We have gone too long without the holiday spirit." Moira said as the elevator opened up and now Sara entered the apartment.

"And there's the guest of honor." Oliver said with a smile as he moved to hug Sara.

"You did not have to do all this for me Ollie." Sara said.

"Technically, this is also my welcome home party, since I never let Tommy throw me one." Oliver said.

"Speaking of Tommy, where is he?" Sara asked, since the Merlyn son had never missed a party.

"I don't know. He pretty much vanished after his father disappeared. No one knows where he is." Oliver said, a bit sadly, since Tommy had fallen into a state of depression after his father died, since everyone had turned on him, saying he was just as bad as his father. Oliver had done his best to support Tommy, but in the end, he'd decided to just vanish from the city all together. Queen Consolidated had bought Merlyn Global when it looked like the company had gone under.

"I hope he's okay." Sara said.

"I'm sure Tommy's fine wherever he is. He always ends up on his feet." Oliver said confidently.

"Now, if you two are done chatting, I believe this is a party." Laurel said as she walked over to her boyfriend and her sister.

"She's right, let's have some fun." Oliver said as they moved on to enjoy the party.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the same time in Nanda Parbat, Ra's al Ghul watched in pride as his latest pupil trained. He'd only arrived a few weeks ago, but he'd already taken well to his training.

"Enough." Ra's said as he stopped his new round of trainees from killing each other.

"You, rise." Ra's said as his warrior did so.

"Very good. Show me your face, Prometheus." Ra's said.

The man did what he was told to reveal the face of none other than Tommy Merlyn.

"Your father would be proud of how you've found purpose with us as he did." Ra's said and Tommy nodded as he knelt down.

"Thank you my liege." Tommy said.


	25. Chapter 25

"So, you're going to take down Frank Bertinelli now?" Laurel asked as Oliver told her, John and Sara their next target.

"I've been doing some research and someone has been taking out members of the Bertinelli syndicate. While normally I wouldn't care, since it would seem someone is doing our job for us, these murders are being made to look like the triad are responsible." Oliver said.

"If those two gangs go to war." Laurel said.

"Star City will become a war ground." Sara said.

"Exactly. We need to figure out who the killer is and the best way to do that is to figure out which one of Bertinelli's enemies is targeting him by getting in with him. I've already convinced Walter to let me talk to Frank Bertinelli about the construction job for the new Queen Consolidated Applied Sciences division." Oliver said.

"I think it's nice they're honoring your father like that." Laurel said, since the wing was still named in honor of Oliver's father.

"Yeah." Oliver said, thinking about how his father didn't really deserve it.

"So, what do we do while you're doing that?" John asked.

"John, check with Lyla, see if Argus has any intel we can use. If Waller gives you any trouble, remind her I have leverage over her." Oliver said and John nodded.

"What about me?" Sara asked.

"Stake out the Triad. If they are behind these killings, we need to know why and if they're not, see if you can find out who is." Oliver said and Sara nodded as she moved to suit up.

"What about me?" Laurel asked.

"You're not ready for the field yet. Or the costume I know you had Cisco make while you were in Central City." Oliver said knowingly.

"Please Ollie. I'm doing really well in my training with both you and Sara." Laurel said, giving Oliver a look she knew he couldn't say no to.

"You know I can never say know when you give me that pouty look." Oliver said.

"Why do you think I give you this pouty look?" Laurel said, giving him the cutesy eyes.

"Fine, you can stakeout Bertinelli's daughter Helena. If she's a target protect her or see if she could lead you back to the killer." Oliver said, since right now, Helena wasn't that dangerous. Considering how much training he and Sara had given Laurel, she should be able to stop her.

"Okay." Laurel said, thinking this assignment would be boring, but not knowing that her boyfriend had given her the most important assignment of all.

"You sure she's ready for this?" John asked Oliver as Laurel moved to change into her own suit.

"Bertinelli's daughter is an easy assignment. This is mostly to get Laurel some easy field experience and also make sure that Bertinelli's daughter isn't associated with this." Oliver said and John nodded.

"Smart move. Laurel gets some action but she's also in a relatively safe position." John said.

"Exactly." Oliver agreed as Sara emerged, now dressed as the White Canary.

"You really think she's ready for this?" Sara asked.

"I want to protect her to, but Laurel knew the risk when she decided she wanted to become a vigilante. She needs actual experience, something neither of us can teach her. At least this way, she won't get too far over her head." Oliver said as Laurel rejoined them, now dressed in her Black Canary suit, since Laurel and Sara had decided that since they were sisters, they wanted to share the Canary mantle. Sara was the White Canary and Laurel was the Black Canary.

"How do I look?" Laurel asked.

"Sexy." Oliver said, causing Laurel to smile at him.

"Okay, Dig, let's get going before we hear something that scars us for life." Sara said and John nodded as they walked out, causing both Oliver and Laurel to roll their eyes at them.

"The suit is missing something though." Oliver said, since Laurel's suit looked like Cisco made a more armored version of her original suit.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"Something to protect that beautiful face." Oliver said as he produced a black domino mask.

"It's perfect." Laurel said as she put it on.

"Perfect." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as they kissed before she headed out to spy on Helena and Oliver moved to head to his meeting with Frank Bertinelli.


	26. Chapter 26

Black Canary was bored. She felt like Oliver had only given her this job to appease her. There was nothing exciting about Bertinelli's daughter. Or at least, that's what she thought.

"White Canary." Black Canary said as she saw Helena enter some kind of storage unit and she moved closer to take a better look and was surprised at what she saw.

"What is it Black Canary?" White Canary asked over the comms.

"I think you need to get here. Helena Bertinelli is the one attacking her father's business." Black Canary said.

"What, why?" White Canary asked.

"Don't know, but she has a storage locker full of weapons and a chart showing all the members of her father's enterprise that have been killed with their faces exed out. I'm not a vigilante, but my lawyer instincts are telling me she's guilty." Laurel said.

"Okay, I'm on my way." White Canary said.

"I'm not letting her get away." Black Canary said as she moved to take on Helena.

"Helena Bertinelli, you have failed this city." Black Canary said as stood behind him.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Helena asked, not really intimidated by a girl in black leather.

"I'm Black Canary." Black Canary said.

"Well whoever you are, you won't stop me." Helena said.

"I beg to differ." Black Canary said as she moved to engage Helena, who had clearly been taking some self defense classes of her own, since she was a decent match for Black Canary's skills.

It seemed like it would be a fairly close fight when suddenly, something strange and unexpected happened.

Black Canary opened her mouth, but suddenly, instead of words, a loud cry was heard as the force sent Helena flying back and knocked her unconscious.

"How did you do that?" White Canary asked as she approached her sister.

"I have no idea. But we should secure her and tip off dad at the police." Black Canary said, still in shock at what she'd just done, but trying to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

"Wait, you did what?" John asked as Laurel and Sara told him and Oliver again what happened.

"You don't seem surprised." Sara said to Oliver.

"I've been keeping tabs on Central City ever since Supergirl showed up and there have been reports of people with strange abilities appearing ever since the explosion. I had suspicions that least one of you were affected by it, but I didn't say anything since I wasn't sure if I was right until now." Oliver explained and Laurel and Sara both nodded in acceptance of that answer.

"We should probably see if Sara was affected to and in the meantime, help Laurel learn to control her new power." John said.

"I think I can help with the training portion." Oliver said, thankful for his experience with Dinah, since now he had a better understanding of the Canary cry ability. Probably one of the few good things that had come out of that mistake, since now that he thought about it, she was probably the reason Team Arrow had failed the first time, since she was the one who'd rallied Curtis and Rene against him after Vince's death.

"Okay then. So, what do we do in the meantime?" Sara asked.

"I'm gonna call Cisco, see if he has any ideas for tech to help you control your powers." Oliver said and the girls nodded as they headed out.

"Got something you'd like to say John?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver, with all four of us out in the field, we could use someone back here, watching our backs." John said.

"I agree. I'm already looking into someone for that role." Oliver said as he showed John Felicity's file.

"Not bad. Why haven't you done it yet?" John asked.

"Because this is a decision that requires the whole team to agree on." Oliver said.

"I get that I guess. After all, the only reason you brought Sara in without consulting us is that she already knew your identity and you and Laurel already trusted her." John said and Oliver nodded.


	27. Chapter 27

**This chapter will involve an old friend from Central City moving to Star City and a change in leadership in Argus.**

* * *

"What do you need?" Waller asked Oliver as he, John, Laurel and Sara stood in front of her in Argus headquarters.

"You heard me Waller. A training facility, our current base is inadequate for the training we currently." Oliver said.

"Tell me what kind of training and perhaps I can even do more than that." Waller said.

"You know I'll never do that." Oliver said.

"Then get out of here." Waller said.

"Actually Amanda, the only person here who needs to scram is you." Alex Danvers said as she entered the room.

"Agent Danvers, what brings the DEO's second in command out here?" Waller asked.

"Supergirl has brought your highly questionable actions to light at the DEO." Alex said and Oliver grinned, knowing that Kara had come through.

"Really, like what?" Waller asked, surprisingly calm, though internally, she was actually sweating.

"Shooting down a plane and risking destabilizing China's economy to take down a single target while also killing hundreds, holding a family hostage to force one man's cooperation, utilizing dangerous criminals for black ops assignments, the list goes on and on. And Director Henshaw has decided your services are no longer required. Amanda Waller, you are terminated from Argus and you are also under arrest. Take her away." Alex said and while the agents looked a bit conflicted at first, they also knew that even if Waller still had authority, Alex outranked her and did what she said.

"You can't do this." Waller insisted.

"Actually, I can and I will. Director Henshaw has approved it." Alex said, honestly a bit smug, since she'd never liked Waller.

"Where she should we take her ma'am?" one of the guards asked.

"Take her to task force X. I'm betting it's members will be thrilled to have her join them." Alex said and they nodded before dragging her away.

"So, who's in charge of Argus?" Lyla asked, wondering if it would be her.

"While normally it would be you agent Michaels, Director Henshaw has actually assigned me as the new director of Argus, since he wants someone he trusts running and reforming this organization." Alex said and Lyla actually seemed a bit relieved.

"Thank goodness. I've seen what sitting behind that desk can do and frankly, I prefer being out in the field, not behind a desk." Lyla said.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, unlike Waller, I will be right out in the field with my agents, but I'm glad you won't feel like you were uspurped." Alex said.

"As long as you prove to be a fair leader, I'll gladly follow you." Lyla said and Alex nodded before turning to Oliver and his team.

"Alex." Sara asked, surprised to see her, since they'd had a one night stand in Central City.

"Hey Sara. Nice to see you again." Alex said, giving her a flirty smile.

"You know her?" Laurel asked.

"I'll tell you later." Sara said.

"Do you know who we are?" Oliver asked.

"I know you're the Green Arrow, Sara is the White Canary and Laurel is the Black Canary. Just like how I know who Supergirl is." Alex said.

"Who is she?" Laurel asked.

"Not my place to say." Alex said, not knowing that Oliver already knew who Supergirl is.

"So, can you give me what I'm asking for?" Oliver asked, trusting Alex with his life.

"Tell me what you want a training area for first." Alex said.

"Laurel is one of the people affected by the accelerator explosion. She has powers now. We need a more ideal place to train her to use them." Oliver explained.

"Agent Michaels, get them a list of defunct Argus and DEO installations in the city. Maybe they can turn on into a more suitable base then whatever they're using now." Alex said.

"Right away Director Danvers." Lyla said as she walked away.


	28. Chapter 28

"I got to admit, this place would make a much better base of operations then the foundry, since it's bigger, which means we wouldn't be on top of each other as much." Laurel said of the training facility Alex had set them up with.

"She has a point Oliver. I mean, I know you set up the foundry so that you'd have a cover for it as your nightclub, but for four people, it's a bit small." John said.

"Maybe." Oliver said, though he agreed.

"They're right Ollie and you know it." Sara said.

"Okay, okay. We'll convert the foundry into a secondary facility and use this place as our main base. Though that means I'm going to need to start looking for a manager for the nightclub." Oliver said.

"How about Thea. She sadly has about as much experience with the club scene as you and she'll be 18 in a few months." Laurel said seriously.

"Not a bad idea." Oliver said, knowing not only would Thea be great at running a nightclub, but due to its location in the Glades, it would also give her a chance to meet someone she was always destined to meet.

"But isn't she still locked up in the mansion for her grounding?" Sara asked.

"I'll talk to my mom, see if I can get Thea some sort of plea bargain and it is so nice to hear that said about a member of my family and it not be for an actual crime." Oliver said and Laurel rolled her eyes, but understood Oliver's emotions in that regard.

* * *

"Mom, Ollie, what's going on?" Thea asked as she came downstairs, though she was surprised to find her mother and brother sitting in the living room.

"Well Thea, Mom and I have been talking and I think I've managed to get you a plea bargain." Oliver said.

"What?" Thea asked.

"Early release from your grounding, but it comes with conditions." Moira said.

"Which are?" Thea asked.

"You take a job at my new club. Nothing alcohol related, I was thinking something more managerial, I know you're still 17, so for now it will be part time, once you graduate, it will be full time." Oliver said.

"A job?" Thea asked.

"Yes, also, your phone will have a new tracking chip planted in it so I can keep tabs on you at all times to make sure you are where you say you are." Moira said.

"And if necessary, Dig has agreed to shadow you instead of me to make sure you're doing what you're supposed to be doing." Oliver said.

"Seriously?" Thea asked, since this sounded like a different form of grounding.

"You made this mess Speedy. Mom and Walter have no reason to trust you right now, so this is what you get." Oliver said.

"And if I refuse?" Thea asked.

"Then you're grounding remains as it currently is, but also, when your grounding is over, I will hire an actual babysitter for you. Until you show me I can trust you to be responsible, you will not be allowed out of this house without someone keep tabs on you. I'm sorry that it has to be this way Thea, but honestly, I can't trust you won't fall back into your old habits." Moira said.

"Then I guess I'll take the plea." Thea said.

"Good. You start this weekend. Be at the club by 9 in the morning on Saturday." Oliver said with a smile.

"Wait what, but it's not even open yet?" Thea said.

"It's almost done and you need to familiarize yourself with everything there." Oliver said.

"Where's my phone?" Thea asked, deciding to let it go.

"Walter is having the chip placed in it at Queen Consolidated. I honestly hope I won't have to create a new position at the company just to always be monitoring your phone." Moira said.

"Fine. When can I have it back?" Thea asked.

"When you leave for work on Saturday. Until then, you're still grounded." Moira said as Thea then barged back upstairs and they heard her door slam behind her.

"You're doing the right thing for her mom. Honestly, I kind of wish you'd done this sort of thing for me. Maybe you had, Laurel and I would be married right now." Oliver said and Moira smiled.

"Maybe, but I'm glad that you're helping me make sure I don't make the same mistakes with her." Moira said and Oliver smiled.


	29. Chapter 29

**To answer a question I got towards the beginning of this story, yes, John Diggle will become the Green Lantern in this story, just not quite yet.**

* * *

Tonight was the opening night of Verdant and while Thea had to be there as the new assistant manager, Oliver had it made it very clear to all of his bartenders that anyone who gave his sister even a bit of alcohol would be looking for a new job, since he did not permit selling alcohol to minors.

Anyways, the party was in full effect as music blared and the club was filled to capacity.

"So, how well you are doing at resisting the call of alcohol?" Oliver asked his sister.

"As long as I don't get too close to the bar, I think I'll be fine. Baby steps after all." Thea said and Oliver smiled.

"Baby steps. Now, I know you're here for work, but that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun. Go dance. I know they're playing one of your favorite songs." Oliver said and Thea smiled.

"Thanks Ollie." Thea said.

"You're on parole Thea. If mom gives you any trouble, tell her I told you could have a little fun, as long as you steer clear of the booze." Oliver said and Thea smiled as she hugged her brother before going to dance.

"You sure letting Thea out on the dance floor is a good idea?" Laurel asked Oliver.

"She knows the consequences if she screws up. Besides, once she's 18, I'm planning on promoting her to full manager of this place so that we have more time for our nightly activities." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"Well, let's not let her be the only one on the dance floor." Laurel said as she basically had to drag Oliver out onto the dancefloor.

* * *

As Thea danced in the crowd, she felt someone bump into her and she was about to turn to snap at them when she lost her voice at the face who did it.

"Sorry about that ma'am." Roy Harper said to her.

"It's fine. You look familiar." Thea said.

"Your brother hired me as one of the servers for the bar." Roy said.

"Oh right. What's your name again?" Thea asked.

"Roy. Roy Harper." Roy said.

"Well, Roy Harper, it sounds like they're putting a slow song on, so have a dance with me and I'll consider everything forgiven, as long as you don't pick my pockets." Thea said.

"I'm pretty sure pickpocketing my boss is grounds for termination, so don't worry, I won't, but if you're serious, I'll take you up on that dance." Roy said as the music did indeed turn into a slow song and he held out his hand to Thea, who took it and they began to dance together, neither of them knowing that they were always meant to meet. But someone else did.

"Ollie, look at what Thea's doing." Laurel said, pointing out Thea and Roy dancing.

Oliver was about to go break it up until he saw who Thea was dancing with and then smiled.

"In every reality, those two truly are meant to be together." Oliver said under his breath.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"I think I'll let this one slide. If he hurts her, I'll put an arrow in him." Oliver said and Laurel chuckled.

"So you're done meddling with Thea's life?" Laurel asked as they started dancing themselves.

"I think that now that she's on a better path then she was when I first came home, she'll be fine now. Besides, I think she has a similar type as you." Oliver said.

"And what might that be?" Laurel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The bad boys." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Well then, I guess it's true that the bad boys like the good girls." Laurel said as Oliver twirled her.

"I guess so." Oliver agreed as he pulled her in close and kissed her.


	30. Chapter 30

**I want to thank WritersBlock039 for helping me come up with some of the ideas in this chapter.**

* * *

Oliver's plans for recruiting Felicity again suddenly vanished when he dug deeper into her files and found that despite the change in reality, Felicity's timeline had remained the same. He was wishing he'd done more extensive research into her before, since then he would've realized how emotionally unstable she was. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that recruiting Felicity had been a mistake and her past of disregard of his authority was proof of that.

"So, why are you looking into other tech support options. What happened with that Felicity girl?" John asked.

"I dug deeper and realized that she's too emotionally unstable to join this team." Oliver said as he showed John his findings.

"Okay, I get that. But still, we could use someone on the comms watching our backs." John said and Oliver nodded.

"Agreed. I'm looking into other candidates, but this Felicity girl, while she has her uses, she can't be trusted in the long term." Oliver said and John nodded as the girls entered the lair.

"Is everything okay?" Oliver asked, seeing the looks on Laurel and Sara's faces.

"Sara has something to show you guys on the training level." Laurel said, much to their surprise, since their lair was divided up into two floors. The top one was where they stored their suits and served as their command center while the bottom floor served as their training ground and garage.

"So, what do we need to see?" John asked when they arrived.

"It turns out I wasn't the only affected by the accelerator explosion." Laurel said as Sara took a deep breath before releasing her own sonic cry in the same target range Laurel used to train.

"Looks like we've got two metahuman canaries." Oliver said.

"Looks like now we get to have some role reversal. Me as the teacher and you as the student." Laurel said to her sister, who rolled her eyes.

"I think that this also increases our need for a tech genius to help develop technology to help you both control your powers. We can't keep talking to Cisco. We need our own specialist here." Oliver said.

"So, how do we get one we can trust?" John asked.

"Sara, why don't you go talk to Alex at Argus, see if she can lend us one of their techs?" Oliver said.

"Okay, I'll head there now." Sara said as she left the base.

"Is there a reason you asked Sara to do that?" Laurel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You did see the way Sara reacted when Alex entered the Argus base. And I'm pretty sure it's reciprocated. Who knows, if things work out between them, we can use that to help us better solidify our relationship with Argus." Oliver said.

"So, not only are you trying to fix my sister up, you're also trying to use her to help our relationship with Argus. Didn't know you had it in you." Laurel said.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Oliver asked.

"As long as my sister is as happy as I am with you, no." Laurel assured him.

"Good." Oliver said as they kissed.

"Speaking of being happy, I've gotta a date with Lyla. I'll see you guys later." John said as he headed out.

* * *

"Sara, what a surprise, what can I do for you?" Alex asked.

"Oliver was wondering if we could commandeer one of your techs here and asked me to be the one who asked." Sara said and Alex smiled.

"Well, I think I can spare one tech, but it will come at a price." Alex said.

"And that price is?" Sara asked.

"You have to go out to dinner with me." Alex said with a smile.

"So, you're using this as a chance to ask me out?" Sara asked.

"Well, is it working?" Alex asked.

"Well, considering that I would've taken the date for free, yes. Honestly, I was wondering if I was gonna have to ask you out or if it would be the other way around." Sara said and Alex smiled.

"Why do I get feeling that this was your friend Oliver's plan from the beginning?" Alex asked.

"Because he's dating my sister and it seems some of her tendencies have rubbed off on him." Sara said, but honestly, she wasn't that angry at him.

"Also, I know you have a job as a bartender, but I think I know a job you can have that benefits both Argus and your team." Alex said.

"And what might that be?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Come work for Argus, part-time reserve agent or maybe as a trainer for our newer recruits. You'd have actual security clearance to Argus files, which can benefit your team and you can also put your training to use in your career here at Argus, since we could use an agent of your skills. Everyone wins." Alex said.

"I'll think about it. Now in the meantime, which tech were you thinking of giving us?" Sara asked.

"Agent Schott." Alex called as Winn Schott rushed over to her.

"Yes Director?" Winn asked.

"Relax Winn. I know you've been looking for a change of scenery outside of this base, so how would you like to work with the Green Arrow?" Alex asked.

"Is this a joke?" Winn asked, since honestly, his dream was to work with actual heroes and Sara rolled her eyes at that.

"No. I work on the Green Arrow's team and we could use some tech support." Sara said.

"Oh I can definitely do that." Winn said.

"He can. He's one of our best computer specialists and inventors. I'm sure he'll prove to be an invaluable member of your team." Alex said.

"Can I get his file first. I'm sure the Green Arrow and the rest of my team will want to evaluate him before we invite him to the party." Sara said and Alex nodded.

"I'll send his file to your system." Alex said.

"Great. And Alex, I'll call you tomorrow so we can figure out everything for our date." Sara said and Alex smiled as she nodded as Sara left.


	31. Chapter 31

After Sara had given them Alex's recommendation, Oliver decided to contact Kara, since he knew that in the original reality he'd been a part of her team and wanted her input. While Kara had been surprised that was where Winn had ended up in this new reality, she'd immediately given him her approval, since Winn had been the first person she'd told she was Supergirl and he'd originally made her suit. They could trust him.

That was why he was now being shown into their base.

"Okay, this place is incredible." Winn said.

"Well, it is a former Argus base." Sara said as Oliver approached him.

"You're the Green Arrow. I should've known. He shows up shortly after you come back from the island." Winn said and Oliver rolled his eyes.

"You'll keep this secret right?" Oliver asked.

"Of course. I'm assuming if I didn't it would result in some sort of sharp pointy thing being put into my person?" Winn asked.

"Good guess." Oliver said.

"Okay so, where am I going to be working?" Winn asked.

"Let me show you to the command center." Laurel said, guiding Winn up to the computer station they'd set up.

"There's also an area for you to continue inventing. You can never have too many toys in this line of work." Oliver said.

"Cool, but what exactly is my purpose going to be on this team?" Winn asked.

"You'll be on our comms back here, running mission control. Anything that requires hacking or computer assistance will be your responsibility and you'll also be watching our backs in the field." Oliver said.

"I can do that. So, I know you're the Green Arrow, but what's everyone else's codenames?" Winn asked.

"I'm the Black Canary." Laurel said.

"White Canary." Sara said.

"Huh, so you two are Canary sisters." Winn said.

"Not a bad name, considering you two already work like a team within the team." Oliver said and the girls nodded.

"What about you John?" Winn asked.

"No nickname. I don't wear costumes." John said.

"So you go out there with no way to protect your identity? Okay, whether you like it or not, I'm making you a suit." Winn said and Oliver rolled his eyes, amused, right as his phone rang.

"Mom?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver, Thea's been kidnapped." Moira said and Oliver was now on full alert.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"She was meeting that new boy she's dating, Roy Harper, at some restaurant in the Glades and she was abducted with him." Moira said.

"Okay, I'll see if I can find help." Oliver said as he hung up.

"What's going on?" Laurel asked, seeing the look on her boyfriend's face.

"Thea's been abducted. Her new boyfriend Roy was also abducted." Oliver said and now Laurel understood his panic.

"Well new guy, looks like now you have your chance to shine. See if you can use Argus's satellites to locate any trace of Thea Queen or Roy Harper or trying tracking their phones." Sara said and Winn nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." Winn said.

"Laurel, why don't you go check with your father, see if the cops have any leads." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"And what are you going to do?" Winn asked.

"Gather information my way." Oliver said as he moved to suit up.

"Ollie, you're not going to get any info that way. The best thing we can do is wait until we have some usable intel to act on." Laurel said.

"Fine, but if it takes more than an hour, I'm doing this my way." Oliver said angrily before he stormed off.

"I hope you can work fast, because he wasn't kidding." Sara warned Winn, who nodded as he took a deep breath before sitting down at the computers and got to work.


	32. Chapter 32

**This chapter will have a bit of a frosty twist, just not in the way people will be expecting.**

* * *

When Thea came to after she was knocked out, she was surprisingly freezing. She felt like her insides were frozen.

"What happened?" Thea asked as she took notice of Roy, who looked in worse shape then she felt.

"We got abducted by some thug in the Glades. From now on, we have dates outside of there." Roy said and Thea nodded.

"You think you'll have any more chances to go on dates?" a new voice said and Thea turned to see some strange man approaching them.

"Why are you doing this to us?" Thea asked.

"He's no better than the filth who killed my wife. All those criminals in the Glades are the same. They deserve to die." the man said.

"But what did I do?" Thea asked, still feeling cold.

"You not only turn a blind eye to his criminal behavior, I hear you're just as guilty and you actually reward him for his actions. You deserve the same mercy as him." the man said.

"Who are you?" Thea asked.

"I am the Savior." the man said and Thea rolled her eyes as her teeth started chattering from the cold she was feeling.

"Could you at least turn up the heat a bit?" Thea asked, confused about she was feeling so cold.

"Do you really want that to be your last request?" the Savior asked.

"Can we at least get a last meal?" Roy asked.

"Quiet unless you want to die early." the Savior asked.

"Why haven't you killed us yet?" Thea asked.

"Because I want the whole city to understand why." the Savior said.

"You're going to kill us on camera." Roy realized.

"So, it seems you have some brains in there after all. Now, say cheese." the Savior said as he turned on a video camera and began broadcasting.

* * *

"Guys, this guy just made his first mistake. Well I guess second mistake, considering his first mistake was kidnapping the Green Arrow's sister." Winn said as he showed them the broadcast and Oliver gritted his teeth. He should've known it was the savior.

"Winn, can you trace the signal?" Oliver asked.

"Doing so now and it looks like he's on the move underground in the Glades." Winn said.

"He's in the subway system." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Suit up, we're hitting him hard and fast." Oliver said as he, Laurel and Sara moved to suit up.

* * *

Thea could feel her body becoming colder, like it was transforming into something different and this time when she let a breath out, she could actually see it.

"What is going on?" Thea asked as suddenly, she felt her eyes begin to glow.

"Thea, what's going on with you?" Roy asked, giving his girlfriend a concerned look.

"I don't know." Thea said as her voice became distorted and her hair actually began to turn white.

"Thea, are you okay?" Roy asked as her head shot up.

"I'm fine." Thea said as she looked towards the Savior.

"You don't look fine." Roy said as suddenly, ice began emitting from her hands that froze and shattered her cuffs.

"What?" the Savior asked as Thea got up and she looked both angry and frosty.

"You should know better than pick on people." Thea said as she ice blasted the camera, destroying it, since the savior was to obsessed with his rant to show her or Roy's faces yet.

"What are you?" the Savior asked, clearly not prepared to deal with a metahuman.

"Your worst nightmare." Thea said as she ice blasted him back into unconsciousness.

She was about to deal a fatal blow when suddenly, the Green Arrow, Black Canary and White Canary dropped into the subway car, but what they saw surprised them.

"Thea?" Green Arrow asked, shocked at seeing his little sister with with these freaky powers.

"How do you know her name?" Roy asked.

"Untie him. I'll see if I can reason with her." Green Arrow said to the girls, who nodded.

"Thea, I don't want to hurt you and I know you don't want to hurt him, no matter how much he deserves it." Green Arrow said.

"You don't know me. And he deserves it. He nearly killed me." Thea said as she turned back to the Savior.

"Thea please." Green Arrow begged.

"No he must pay." Thea said and Green Arrow knew what he had to do before making sure that the camera was off.

Thea was about to ice blast the Savior to death when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to tell the Green Arrow off, but to her surprise, she found that the Green Arrow had removed his mask and hood to reveal that he was none other than her own brother, Oliver Queen.

"Ollie?" Thea asked as her voice and appearance returning to normal.

"It's me Speedy." Oliver said as he noticed the savior coming to and then put his hood and mask back on, knowing that Roy had also seen his real face.

"Get them out of here." Green Arrow said to the Canaries who nodded as Black Canary came over to the Thea.

"Laurel." Thea asked, now recognizing her now that she knew who the Green Arrow was.

"Yeah, I'll explain later, we need to get you out of here." Black Canary said.

"Wait, what about him?" Thea asked.

"I'll make sure he doesn't remember any of this." Green Arrow said.

"What?" Thea asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Black Canary said as she helped White Canary support Roy.

"Get them back to the base." Green Arrow said and the Canaries nodded as they helped Roy get off the train the same way they'd gotten onto it with Thea quickly following, thinking her questions for her brother could wait for now, since she honestly did not want to know what he was going to do to her kidnapper.


	33. Chapter 33

"Hey." Oliver said as he approached his sister, who was currently sitting in the waiting room of Starling General Hospital, where Roy was currently in surgery.

"How'd you convince mom to pay for Roy to be treated here?" Thea asked Oliver.

"I reminded her what a good influence Roy's been on you lately. You've definitely become the best version of yourself because he's around." Oliver said with a smile.

"Thank you." Thea said.

"How are you feeling?" Oliver asked.

"I'm fine. No major injuries, honestly I was unconscious until the end." Thea said and Oliver nodded as he pulled her aside.

"How are you doing really?" Oliver asked her.

"I'm freaking out about not only discovering these weird cold abilities, but also that my big brother is the hero of Star City." Thea said.

"I'm not a hero Thea." Oliver asked.

"You saved my life and a few months ago, the Glades would've been destroyed and if it weren't for you. You're a hero Ollie. But I have to ask, why are you doing this?" Thea asked.

"I'll tell you later at my base. But you're not going to tell anyone right?" Oliver asked.

"Your secret is safe with me and I'll make sure Roy agrees to that." Thea said and Oliver smiled at her thankfully.

"And also, I want to join your team." Thea said and Oliver sighed.

"I was hoping to keep you and mom as far away from this as possible, but I guess that isn't possible with you anymore. Fine. But you're not getting in the field until first, you master your new powers and second, after I've finished training you." Oliver said and Thea nodded.

"I'm assuming the same thing goes for Roy?" Thea asked, knowing her boyfriend would want to join to.

"I'm thinking Roy's role on the team will be as what I use for target practice." Oliver said and Thea rolled her eyes at him.

"Seriously Ollie. You just said you think Roy's a good influence on me." Thea said.

"I did, but I'm also your big brother and with dad gone, it's my job to terrify your boyfriend. But seriously Thea, if he hurts you, I will turn him into a human pincushion." Oliver said and Thea actually looked a little scared for her boyfriend.

"But considering the fact that I'm sure he'll be terrified of me now, I'm sure we'll have nothing to worry about." Oliver said, since he honestly thought that Roy was the one boy on earth who did deserve his little sister.

"Okay then." Thea said.

"And mom can never know about this." Oliver said, even though he was already sure his mom was starting to figure things out.

"Well duh. But what about my phone's tracker. If mom notices me going anywhere I'm not supposed to, I'm toast." Thea said.

"I have someone who can hack your phone to make it look like you're at my place, since mom said it was okay for you be there. Also, we'll have to limit your actions in the field for right now." Oliver said and Thea nodded.

"One more question." Thea said.

"Shoot." Oliver said.

"Laurel and Sara. They're the other vigilantes I saw today aren't they?" Thea asked and Oliver smiled, honestly impressed.

"Yeah, Laurel's the Black Canary and Sara is the White Canary." Oliver confirmed.

"What's my codename going to be?" Thea asked.

"Why don't we wait until you get your suit before you worry about that." Oliver said and Thea nodded a bit reluctantly.

* * *

When Roy came to, he found Thea sitting at his bedside.

"Thea." Roy said as Thea stopped him from getting up.

"Relax Roy, I'm fine. But you have some pretty bad injuries. You need to rest." Thea said as she took his hand in her own.

"I saw your brother." Roy said.

"Yeah that was real and if I were you, I'd keep it to yourself, since he is willing to let us join." Thea said and Roy nodded.

"I'm so sorry Thea. You never would've gotten involved in that if you hadn't met me." Roy said.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault Roy. You couldn't have known, but at least now we're both safe." Thea said.

"I love you." Roy said suddenly.

"What?" Thea asked, shocked, since she didn't think they were there yet.

"Sorry if that was too sudden, but." Roy said as Thea silenced him with a kiss.

"I was just surprised." Thea said.

"And now?" Roy asked.

Thea wasn't sure what she was going to say, but then, as if her mouth had a mind of its own she said "I love you to."

She was surprised to see hear herself say that, but at the same time, felt so right to say that to him.

Roy smiled as he just continued holding Thea's hand, neither of them saying a thing to each other, both of them already knowing.


	34. Chapter 34

"Welcome to our base." Oliver said as he showed Thea and Roy into their base.

"So, this is the arrowcave." Thea said and Oliver rolled his eyes at her.

"Arrowcave, I am so calling it that from now on." Laurel said as she walked up to them.

"Thanks a lot." Oliver said, since he'd never liked that name to start out with and now he knew he was stuck with it.

"So, who else is on this team besides you two, Sara and Dig?" Thea asked, since John had accompanied them.

"Our new tech support, Winn Schott." Oliver said, gesturing over to Winn.

"Nice to meet you." Thea said, holding out her hand to Winn, who shook it.

"Likewise. So, you're the one who can be cold at times?" Winn asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know how." Thea said.

"That's why you're here. To see if we can figure out how to trigger your powers." Oliver isad.

"But we still don't know where these powers came from, since unlike Sara and I, she wasn't in Central City when the accelerator blew up." Laurel said.

"I can take some of Thea's blood to Argus and see if we can run some tests on it." Winn said.

"Do it. We need to figure out not only how to control Thea's powers, but also where they came from in the first place." Oliver said.

"Wait, blood?" Thea asked.

"We have equipment for that here. I promise it'll be quick and painless. Back when Waller was in charge, I would've kept this in house, but now with Alex, I can actually get a lot of help with this at Argus." Winn said.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want Waller to know about Thea. Alex on the other hand is a good ally to have, especially considering how close she and Sara are getting." Oliver said, having already trusted Alex the moment he saw her.

"Really, what are you talking about?" Thea asked.

"Sara's bi and she and the new director of Argus, Alex Danvers, are dating. In fact, Alex took Sara with her to Central City. Apparently Alex's whole family is in town there and she wants to have Sara officially meet her parents." Laurel said.

"Really, interesting." Oliver said, since he'd kept in touch with both Kara and Barry since Barry came out of his coma and she'd told him about her foster father, Alex's father, Jeremiah.

"Maybe while she's there, Sara will meet Supergirl." Thea said, since the Flash hadn't really made his debut yet, since Barry had really only been awake a few days so far.

"Maybe she can introduce us." Laurel said, not knowing that her boyfriend already knew who Supergirl was and was already friends with her.

"Maybe. It might be nice to have an indestructible hero on our side in case we need that sort of firepower." Oliver agreed.

"Anyways, Thea, let Winn take some a blood sample from you and then we'll start training both you and Roy." Oliver said and Thea nodded as she let Winn lead her away.

"So, what are you going to train me on?" Roy asked.

"I think you've got the build of an archer. So first, we're going to start working on building up arm strength, in addition to actual combat training." Oliver said, pleased that this time, Roy didn't have the mirakuru in him, so he could give him more advanced training now then he'd been able to before.

Oliver then noticed that John was sort of sulking in the corner.

"I'll be right back. Laurel, can you please start training them." Oliver asked and Laurel nodded as Oliver walked over to John.

"What's up with you John?" Oliver asked.

"Well Oliver, it isn't exactly rocket science. I don't really have a real role on this team." John said.

"John that's not true." Oliver said.

"Isn't it. I don't go out into the field with you, Laurel and Sara and I don't know much about computers like Winn, honestly I feel like the only thing I contribute to this team is to give you a somewhat challenging sparring partner and Sara does that more." John said.

"John, you do contribute to this team." Oliver said.

"I provide a cover. You don't even need me as your bodyguard." Oliver said.

"You were one of the first people I've ever trusted since I came back from the Island." Oliver said.

"Out of necessity. Oliver, I don't contribute to the team at all." John said.

"Then maybe it's time we change that. I think it's time you get your costume." Oliver said.

"Wait, what?" John asked, since he thought he'd said he didn't want a costume as Oliver led him over to where the Green Arrow, Black Canary and White Canary suits were on display.

"I told Winn he didn't need to make you a suit, since I already had Cisco put this together." Oliver said as he turned on a light and next to his suit, another suit was revealed. This one had a black and red color scheme, along with a cool helmet with a red visor.

"Cool." John admitted.

"It's yours. Designed out of the same material as the rest of the suits, the helmet also has thermal scanning. You want to get out in the field with us John, well, now you can." Oliver said and John grinned.

"Thanks man." John said and Oliver smiled.

"I think you should call yourself Spartan." Oliver said.

"I like it." John said and Oliver smiled, since he hoped that this time, being Spartan was enough for John.

* * *

 **I know I said John was going to become Green Lantern and he will, but not until after Team Arrow meets Team Superflash, so for now, he's back to being Spartan. The reason why John will not be Green Lantern until after they meet Supergirl is because I want Kara to be able to explain to Team Arrow the significance of the Green Lanterns first.**


	35. Chapter 35

Thea and Roy had both been making remarkable strides in their training, since they'd discovered that it was adrenaline that triggered her powers and caused the transformation and they'd also discovered that Thea didn't need to fully transform into her icy form to use her powers.

Anyways, tonight Oliver was planning on taking out a different enemy. One from his past that he intended to take down now rather than wait for him to ruin his life again.

"So, who are we going after tonight?" Laurel asked after she, John, Thea and Roy gathered in front of Oliver at Winn's computer station.

"Tonight, we're taking down the Scorpions." Oliver said as he had Winn pull up images of the notorious crime gang.

"The Scorpions. But they're one of the biggest organized criminal gangs in the city." Laurel said.

"I know. And so far, the authorities have been unsuccessful in dealing with them." Oliver said.

"They don't have enough evidence to go on." Laurel said weakly.

"No, the Scorpions are just taking advantage of the corruption in the court system." Oliver said.

"Even so, no one knows where the scorpions are based out of." John said.

"Fortunately, I have contacts in the Bratva that were able to get us that location." Oliver said.

"The Bratva?" Thea asked.

"The Russian Mob." Roy explained.

"How do you have contacts with the Russian mob?" Thea asked.

"I saved the new Bratva Pakhan's life and also became a captain of it. Long story I'll tell you later." Oliver said and Thea sighed.

"Still, shouldn't we wait for Sara to get back from Central City to do this?" Laurel asked, not sure if taking on the Scorpions is the best move.

"I understand if you guys are hesitant about going after a criminal enterprise instead of a single person, but protecting this city means doing more than just taking down the one percenters. We need to start branching out and helping everyone in this city by doing things like this. Especially because of this new product I've gotten word of the Scorpions selling." Oliver said as he brought up images of a familiar product.

"That's Vertigo." Thea said.

"You know it?" Laurel asked.

"In my less then responsible days. Never used it, but I knew people who did. Most of them wound up either in the hospital or morgue." Thea said.

"Same here." Roy said.

"And the cops have no information on the Vertigo supplier. Hopefully by taking down the Scorpions, we can help them out with that. Get a dangerous drug off the streets." Oliver said.

"Okay then, so it's just the three of us?" Laurel asked, referring to herself, Oliver and John.

"No, I think that our recruits are ready for some field action. Besides, this way we can see if Thea can control her powers in actual field situation." Oliver said and Thea and Roy both grinned, since they were getting tired of always sitting on the sidelines.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Laurel asked.

"The best training they can get is actual experience. Besides, going up against the Scorpions, we're going to need all the fire power we can get to take them down." Oliver said.

"You mean Ice power in my case." Thea said and Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Yes Thea. Ice power. Now, Winn, are they ready?" Oliver asked and Winn nodded as he moved over to where the suits were on display and he pressed a button and two more suits appeared on display on the both sides of the display. Next to John's suit was a red version of Oliver's suit. Next to the White Canary suit was a suit that was made up of an icy blue jacket, black pants and heels and the belt with a snowflake insignia on it.

"Nice." Thea said, since it was clear which suit was her's.

"Remember your training and try not to die." Oliver said.

"Excellent advice." Thea said.

"Okay suit up. We're gonna go do some recon and then we'll make an actual plan." Oliver said and they all nodded in agreement as they moved to suit up.


	36. Chapter 36

Green Arrow, Black Canary, Spartan, Roy and Thea were standing outside the Scorpion's base.

"So, what's the plan?" Thea asked.

"Well first, I think it's time you and Roy got codenames, so that way you don't blow your cover." Green Arrow said.

"What are they?" Roy asked.

"Roy, you're Arsenal and Thea, I originally wanted to call you Speedy, but since you have cold powers, I thought the name Frostbite would be more effective." Green Arrow said and they both nodded in acceptance of their new codenames.

"So what's the real plan?" Black Canary asked.

"Frostbite, think you can produce some sort of icy mist to cover our entry?" Green Arrow said.

"Coming up." Frostbite said as she did just that.

"I want you and Arsenal up top in sniper positions, arrows and ice blasts. Call out any patterns or anything else of interest inside." Green Arrow said and Frostbite and Arsenal nodded.

"Canary, since your usual partner is still out of town, you'll be with Spartan. Winn has determined where the Scorpion's armory and drug supply is. Plant charges in all those areas so we can blow it up then join me in the fight on the ground floor. Take aim with extreme prejudice and remember, these guys will kill you without second thought, so give them the chance. Aim to incapacitate, but if it comes down to choice of killing them and surviving or risking letting them live, don't hesitate." Green Arrow said, since he had no intention of letting Ricardo Diaz walk out of this place alive.

"So, you're going in alone?" Black Canary asked, concerned.

"I'm putting you with Spartan to make sure the job gets done quicker. Besides, I have more combat experience in this regard than any of you. I'll be fine." Green Arrow said.

"Just stay safe. I lost you once before already." Black Canary said as she kissed him before she and Spartan moved out.

"You need to put a ring on her already Ollie." Frostbite said.

"Tell me something I don't know. Now let's do this." Green Arrow said as he fired an explosive arrow at the door, blowing it off its hinges.

* * *

The Scorpions did their best to put up a fight, between not only the fighting experience of Team Arrow, but also the power of it's two metahumans, they easily outgunned.

However, there was one Scorpion that the Green Arrow was searching for and he'd finally found him.

"Ricardo Diaz." Green Arrow shouted, two years worth of rage, anger and hatred coming to light as he did.

"It's Dragon." Diaz said as he watched his men fall to the Green Arrow's team as Spartan and Black Canary joined the main fighting as Green Arrow himself approached him.

"I don't care. You have failed this city." Green Arrow said.

"So, you gonna put an arrow in me?" Diaz asked.

"No, you're one case I want to deal with, up close and personal." Green Arrow said and he lunged at Diaz, who barely had time to react as the two got into a deathmatch with their fists, but Green Arrow was clearly holding back. Diaz clearly hadn't become the fighter he was in the future yet. And that would be his downfall as Green Arrow decided that he'd had enough playing games and despite saying otherwise, he pulled out an arrow and jammed it into Diaz's heart. Or whatever it was he had instead of a heart.

He turned back to see the remainder of the scorpions on the ground, all of them clearly surrendering as Spartan walked up to him.

"You okay man?" Spartan asked Green Arrow, since none of them had seen him like that before.

"Yeah, sorry, heat of the moment." Green Arrow lied, since there were only three people on earth right now who'd understand the real reason he did what he did.

"It's over. SCPD is on their way." Black Canary said.

"And their drugs?" Green Arrow asked as they heard an explosion.

"Just went up in a cloud of smoke. With everything else here, the cops will have enough to put the Scorpions away for good." Black Canary said.

"Then let's move out." Green Arrow said as they all nodded and moved out of the warehouse, only one of them aware that they'd just stopped one of their biggest enemies in the future.


	37. Chapter 37

A few days after Sara and Alex returned to Star City, they were on their way back to Alex's apartment after their date when suddenly, Alex felt a sharp pain in her neck and she reached to pull out what it was that had hurt her.

"You okay?" Sara asked, right as she felt the same pain in her own neck.

"What was that?" Alex asked.

"I don't know." Sara said as they both suddenly lost conscious.

* * *

When Sara came to, she found herself disarmed of all the weapons she carried on her person and she was chained to chair.

"Alex." Sara called out, panicking when she didn't see or hear her girlfriend anywhere.

"Oh, don't worry yourself over Ms. Danvers." A familiar voice that until now Sara had only heard in her nightmares said and Sara took a deep breath as she swallowed her fear as the door opened and she saw a mask that still haunted her.

"You should be more worried about what I'm going to do to you." Slade Wilson said as he approached her.

"You son of a bitch. Oliver told me you were dead." Sara snarled.

"And he told your family the same thing about you didn't he. Clearly, he's not good at determining whether or not people are dead." Slade said.

"I see you still the goodbye present he gave you though." Sara said, since Slade was missing his right eye.

"He came closer than anyone else ever has to killing me." Slade acknowledged.

"Ollie beat you once, he'll beat you again." Sara said.

"The only reason he beat me was because I got overconfident and he took advantage of the sinking ship we were on. And I will get my revenge on him soon enough. But for now, I think I'm going to focus on our little reunion." Slade said.

"Where's Alex?" Sara demanded.

"Let's just say that your little girlfriend is going to get a taste of what you did to me." Slade said and it took Sara a minute to figure what that meant.

"The Mirakuru?" Sara asked and Slade nodded with a sick grin.

"Indeed. The woman you love will become the instrument of your destruction." Slade said.

"You're insane. The mirakuru could kill her." Sara said, though she knew that kidnapping her and Alex would do a lot more than just get Oliver's attention.

"She's stronger than that. After all, you wouldn't have fallen for her if she wasn't. I'm showing her the true cost of loving you." Slade said and Sara thrashed against her chains angrily.

"Good luck escaping those bonds Sara. You may be good, but you're not that good. And don't bother trying to use your powers. This room is equipped with a sonic dampener. You can't even whistle." Slade said with a sick laugh before leaving Sara alone while she screamed after him.

"Get back here you coward! You touch her and I'll kill you!" Sara shouted as she continued to struggle.

* * *

"Any word from Sara yet?" Oliver asked Winn.

"Nope, no luck tracking her phone and she's not popping up on facial recognition." Winn said and Oliver was beginning to get more worried.

"Laurel, any luck in contacting her?" Oliver asked.

"Nope, she's not answering her phone either." Laurel said.

"Spartan, Frostbite, Arsenal, any luck?" Oliver asked the three of their teammates who were out searching for Sara in the field.

"No luck here." Spartan said.

"I got nothing." Frostbite said.

"Same here." Arsenal said.

"Return to base so we can plan our next move." Oliver said.

"Copy that." Spartan said.

"Ollie I'm getting worried." Laurel said.

"We'll find her Sara." Oliver said.

"How, I can't even track her off her canary cry." Winn said as Lyla entered their lair.

"Looks like I came to the right place." Lyla said.

"Lyla, what are you doing here?" Oliver asked.

"Director Danvers is missing. I came here to see if maybe she was with you, but I see that's not the case." Lyla said.

"Sara's missing to. We should work together on this." Oliver said and Lyla nodded.

"Come to Argus HQ. Something tells me we'll have better luck there." Lyla said.

"Wait, are we allowed there?" Laurel asked.

"With Alex gone, I am the acting director of Argus." Lyla assured them.

"Have you contacted your superiors yet?" Oliver asked, knowing that Kara would be a big help in locating Alex and Sara.

"Not yet." Lyla said.

"Well you probably should." Oliver said and Lyla nodded.


	38. Chapter 38

After relocating to Argus, Team Arrow continued working to find their missing people when another agent approached Lyla.

"Agent Michaels, we have visitors." the agent said.

"Now is not a good time." Lyla said.

"Ma'am, it's Director J'onzz and he's brought Supergirl with him." the agent said and now Lyla was panicking.

"Bring them in here immediately." Lyla said, not seeing Oliver's relieved look that Supergirl was here, since he knew that Kara would speed up their search and be a big help if who he thought was responsible was involved.

A few minutes later, J'onn and Supergirl joined them.

"That's Supergirl." Thea said, freaking out.

"Nice to meet you." Oliver said, holding out his hand to Kara, who thankfully understood his meaning and shook his hand.

"You to. Since I can take a guess that you're the Green Arrow, I might as well tell you my identity, especially since Sara Lance already knows." Kara said.

"Really how would she know?" Laurel asked.

"Because she's dating my sister." Kara said.

"Wait, you're director Danvers' sister?" Lyla asked.

"Adoptive sister and yes. You can call me Kara." Kara said.

"We know Supergirl's real name." Thea fangirled and Oliver rolled his eyes.

"What's the status on the search for Director Danvers?" J'onn asked, getting them back on topic.

"No luck so far. Whoever did this did their research. They disabled Alex's subdermal tracker and we can't get her or Sara on satellite." Lyla said.

"Subdermal tracker?" John asked.

"All agents of the DEO and Argus have trackers in their bodies for exactly this purpose. Don't worry, they are aware of it." Lyla explained and J'onn nodded.

"Okay then. Any other ideas?" J'onn asked.

"I'll find them." Kara said.

"And how do you plan to do that?" John asked.

"My super hearing. I can use it to listen specifically for Alex or Sara's voices and locate them that way." Kara said.

"You think that'll work?" Laurel asked.

"Something tells me their captors didn't know that Alex's sister is Supergirl. My comms are connected to J'onn's. When I find them, I'll give him their location so you can meet me there." Kara said and they all nodded as she flew out.

* * *

As Kara flew over Star City, she closed her eyes and focused her hearing on listening for Alex and Sara's voices.

She kept listening until finally, she heard Sara's voice shouting and screaming and she was able to locate her.

"J'onn, tell Argus that I've located Sara in a warehouse at 5th and Sabers." Kara said.

"Copy that. Go in and we'll meet you there." J'onn said.

"Got it." Supergirl said as she flew towards the warehouse and crashed right through the wall to see Sara in chains.

"What took you so long?" Sara asked as Kara quickly broke her chains.

"Very funny. Where's Alex?" Kara asked.

"She somewhere in here. Please tell me backup is on the way?" Sara asked.

"Green Arrow and his team, plus J'onn and Argus are on their way here now." Supergirl confirmed.

"Good. In the meantime, we need to find Alex." Sara said and Kara could tell that she was panicked.

"Let me see if I can find her." Kara said as she used her x ray vision on the building and quickly found Alex and she was pissed by what she saw.

"It looks like they've got her strapped to a table about to inject her with something." Kara said and now Sara was freaking out.

"Where is she?" Sara asked.

"Two floors up. I'm going in." Kara said as she flew through the ceiling and Sara only hoped that Kara made it in time.

* * *

Alex was currently trying to fight back against her captors as one of them that she recognized as Slade Wilson approached her.

"You should be more careful who you love Director Danvers. It may come back to bite you. Like now." Slade said as he pressed the needle in her arm and Alex felt something enter her body as it began spasming.

"I hope you survive Director I truly do. You are the one weapon that will destroy Sara Lance." Slade said, right as there was an explosion behind them and to Slade's surprise, Supergirl charged into the room, eyes blazing.

"What?" Slade asked.

"Get away from her." Supergirl said as she used her heat vision to send Slade flying back as she rushed towards Alex and yanked the restraints off her, but could tell that she'd been too late to stop Slade from injecting her and as badly as she wanted to make Slade suffer for this, her sister was the priority, luckily for Slade as she then flew off.

"Sir, what should we do?" one of Slade's soldiers asked.

"Fallback. We'll be outnumbered in moments and now we've lost the element of surprise." Slade said, knowing that Supergirl would be back soon and even with his enhanced strength, he wouldn't stand a chance against a fully powered Kryptonian.


	39. Chapter 39

After the failed raid on the warehouse, other then picking up Sara, the team returned to Argus, where Sara was being examined by doctors.

"I'm fine. Alex is the one who needs your attention." Sara said to the doctors when they finally cleared her.

"Sara, who did this?" Oliver asked.

"It was Slade Ollie." Sara said.

"That's impossible." Oliver said, though he knew it was very possible.

"Yeah, I thought so to. But I guess he's harder to kill then we thought and that's saying something." Sara said.

"Wait, who are you talking about?" John asked, since while Oliver had told Laurel about Slade, it had never come up with the others.

"Slade Wilson. I met him my first year on the island. He taught me a lot of what I know. He was my best friend." Oliver said.

"What happened to him?" Thea asked.

"I put an arrow in his eye." Oliver said bluntly, much to their shock.

"Ok, if that's how you treat your friends." Roy said.

"It's not like that. I met Slade a year after Oliver did and to save his life, we had to inject him with this drug called mirakuru. It saved his life from what otherwise would have been critical injuries, but it caused him to go insane. The woman Slade loved was killed on the island and due to his mental instability, Oliver and I lied to him about how it truly happened." Sara said.

"Which was a mistake, since he eventually found out." Oliver said and Sara nodded.

"What happened?" Thea asked.

"This man, Anthony Ivo, he made me choose between Sara or the woman Slade loved, Shado. He shot shadow and then when Slade found out, he made it sound like I chose Sara over Shado. Slade has blamed me for her death ever since and hates me with a passion. The last time I saw him we were on a sinking ship in a fight that ended with me putting an arrow in his eye. I was sure he was dead." Oliver said.

"Sounds like a swell guy, but why did he kidnap Sara if you're the one he has an axe grind with?" Laurel asked.

"Actually, Slade hates me almost as much as he hates Oliver. He blames me for luring Ivo to our location and making it possible for him to kill Shado." Sara explained and Laurel sighed.

"Any other enemies from your past we should know about?" Thea asked.

"The rest of them really are either dead or rotting in military prison." Oliver assured them.

"Good. But anyways, what do we about Slade?" Laurel asked, but before Oliver could respond, Sara rushed over to where Alex was being treated.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Sara asked.

"Slade injected her with some kind of drug that currently has her unconscious. We don't know when or if she'll wake up." Kara said and Sara could feel her tears threatening to drop as she took Alex's hand in her own.

"Come on Alex, stay with me. I can't lose you." Sara softly begged her.

"I think I know a way we can not only stop Slade, but also help Alex." Oliver said.

"How?" Kara asked.

"Ivo developed a cure for the mirakuru by reverse engineering it." Oliver said.

"But it was destroyed." Sara said.

"Maybe, but it sounds like Alex has the mirakuru in her now. If you take a sample of her blood, you can separate the mirakuru from it and use it to reverse engineer the cure. We can then save Alex and also weaponize it against Slade." Oliver said, though he knew that Cisco was already working on the cure.

"I can take a sample back to my team at Star Labs. They shouldn't have much else to do right now, which means they'll have more time to devote to the cure." Kara said, since Cisco had already told her and Barry that he was working on the cure for Oliver.

"Do it. I don't care who does it, as long as they save her." Sara said as she placed her other hand on Alex's still one.

"Sara, I promise, we will save her. But I need to get back to Central City. Call me if there are any changes." Kara said.

"At least wait until we get you a sample of Alex's blood." Lyla said and Kara nodded.

"I promise, the moment that cure is done, I am going to fly right back out here to give it to her. Just make sure she holds on until then." Kara said and Sara nodded.

"I will. I'm not letting her go." Sara said.


	40. Chapter 40

Ever since learning that not only was Slade back, but he'd also elected to target Sara through the woman she loved and right now, Alex still had not woken up, though she was still alive. And Sara had also become distant from the rest of the team the longer Alex was in her coma, not that any of them could blame her.

"She rarely leaves Alex's side anymore. I've never seen Sara like this over anyone before. Boy or girl. I think that if she loses Alex, we will lose her to." Laurel said to Oliver one night as they were having dinner and Laurel finally decided to vent her concerns for Sara.

"Actually, Sara and I decided that keeping Alex in her coma was the best thing for her right now." Oliver said, much to Laurel's surprise.

"Wait, what? Why?" Laurel asked.

"Alex may have survived being injected by the serum, but Sara and I both know that she won't be the same person when she wakes up. The mirakuru changes a person, warps them, turns them into the worst version of themselves. The reason Slade injected Alex with it was because he knew that if Alex survived the serum, she'd either kill Sara, or Sara would be forced to kill her to save her from the mirakuru. Either, he'd consider it a victory." Oliver said.

"You know a lot about Slade's motives." Laurel said.

"I've spent enough time with that man to know how he thinks. Frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't made a move against you or Thea or someone else I care about." Oliver said.

"Is that why you have Thea watching your mom?" Laurel asked and Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, since she's gotten much better with her powers and she's made a lot of progress in her training, if Slade does show up, she can hopefully fend him off long for us to get there. In the mean, the longer we keep Alex comatose, the longer it'll take for the serum to fully corrupt her, which gives Star labs more time to work up the cure." Oliver said and Laurel nodded in understanding, right as she got a text from her dad.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked.

"Oh my god, the mayor was just shot." Laurel said, getting Oliver's attention.

"Do the police have any ideas on the victims?" Oliver asked.

"Let's check the news." Laurel said as she grabbed the remote to the TV in the kitchen and turned on the news and Oliver's suspicions were confirmed when he saw the reports were about the hoods. Clearly either Slade or Blood had hired them to take out the mayor.

"So, it looks you've got some copycats." Laurel said.

"Call John, Winn and Roy, we're dealing with this now." Oliver said.

"What about Thea and Sara?" Laurel asked.

"I can't risk leaving my mom undefended against Slade and in her current mindset, Sara would probably be more of a hindrance than a help right now." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"Wait, what about my family?" Laurel asked.

"Your mom is all the way out in Central City and Kara had confirmed that she checks on her every hour to be safe and your dad is police detective, Slade won't risk going after law enforcement after already getting on the wrong side of Argus this soon." Oliver said and Laurel sighed in relief.

"I hope you're right." Laurel said.

"Slade is many things, but sloppy is not one of them. His next move will be precise, so we need to make sure we can limit his options while we can." Oliver said as he and Laurel headed out.


	41. Chapter 41

"So, we are understaffed tonight." John said as he, Roy, Oliver, Laurel and Winn all gathered in what they'd started to call the bunker.

"Not sure how much help Sara would be in her current state and Thea is watching my mom and Walter in case Slade tries to get to me through them. And I doubt that he'll go after Laurel's family considering he's already attacked Alex to get to Sara." Oliver said and Roy and John nodded.

"Anyways, so these hoods, they killed the mayor." John asked.

"Yeah, apparently they were inspired by the Green Arrow in the wrong way. Trying to eliminate corruption." Oliver said, not believing that even with the Undertaking prevented, the Hoods were still an issue.

"So, what's the plan?" Laurel asked.

"Simple, we find them and take them down. No killing." Oliver said.

"You sure the plan can be as simple as that?" John asked.

"Winn, can you get any surveillance footage of the mayor's murder?" Oliver asked and Winn nodded.

"Already done. I'm pretty sure that these Ghosts were trying to send a message since they offed the mayor at his own gala. The place was packed and surveillance cameras everywhere." Winn said as he brought up the footage.

"These guys are clearly not experts, though they are well trained. My best guess is that they got tired of watching the rest of the city turn a blind eye to the people in the Glades and then, when the Green Arrow showed up, they saw a way to make themselves heard and decided to try and get their own form of justice." Oliver said.

"Except this isn't justice. It's cold blooded murder. We've only gone after people who have actually hurt this city and the people in it. These guys are just killing people they don't like." Laurel said.

"True, but they aren't the only ones who feel that way. Ever since Merlyn's plans with the Undertaking got out, the people in the Glades have been feeling more abandoned by the rest of the city. Crime is at an all time high there and the SCPD doesn't do much to stop it anymore." Roy said, being the only one who actually lived in the Glades.

"What are you saying?" Oliver asked.

"What I'm saying is that even if you take out the Hoods and we will, it'll only be a matter of time before someone else decides to take their shot at this game. Oliver, yes, we can put them behind bars, but something the Green Arrow can't do is show people that they don't need to become vigilantes, that the city hasn't forgotten about them." Roy said.

"Sounds like you have a different course of action in mind." John said.

"Stopping the Hoods won't accomplish anything in the long run. If we want to stop this problem, we need to actually impact change in the light. Not from the shadows." Roy said.

"Any suggestions on how we'd do that?" Laurel asked.

"The mayor being shot does present us with an interesting opportunity." Roy said.

"You think one of us should run for mayor?" Oliver asked, since even though he'd already been mayor of Star City once before, he already decided that he did not want to get in that ring again. Besides, there was someone else he felt would be much more qualified for the position.

"Not just one of us. You." Roy said as all eyes turned to Oliver.

"No. I appreciate the vote of confidence Roy but I don't have the temperament required to sit in council meetings every day. Besides, I doubt at this point in time anyone would take my candidacy seriously." Oliver said.

"Please tell me there's a but coming." John said.

"While I don't plan on running for mayor, there is someone else in this room that I think would make a great mayor." Oliver said as his eyes turned to Laurel.

"Wait, me?" Laurel asked, shocked as John, Roy and Winn looked at her to.

"Yeah, I mean Laurel, you're already a beloved public figure, you're an expert on the legal system, you're familiar with politics and most importantly, you're a normal person." Oliver said.

"Come again?" Laurel asked, confused.

"Most of the people who run for mayor are people like me. Rich one percenters who talk a good talk but never follow through once they're in office. You grew up in Star City and you can actually relate to the voters since you're actually similar to them." Oliver said.

"He's got a point Laurel." John said.

"You all really think I should run for mayor?" Laurel asked.

"Only if you want to, but I think you'd make a great mayor." Oliver said.

"I'll think about it. But for now, I believe we have killers to catch." Laurel said and Oliver nodded, already seeing the gears turning inside her head and he knew that she'd come around to the idea eventually.


	42. Chapter 42

After they took down the Hoods **(sorry to those of you who were hoping for that fight, but honestly I think it would be boring, considering how easily Oliver took down the Hoods by himself the first time, I felt like against the whole team, the fight would've been over before it began)** , the team went their separate ways for the night.

Anyways, after they got home, Oliver found Laurel standing out on their terrace, thinking.

"Surprised to find you out here. I thought you had a big case tomorrow." Oliver said.

"Yes, it turns out that a majority of the criminals I'm prosecuting have been brought in by either the Black Canary or some other member of the Green Arrow's team." Laurel said and Oliver laughed.

"Fair enough. But anyways, I can tell you're thinking about something, what is it?" Oliver asked.

"I've been thinking about what you and Roy said and I realized that maybe you're right." Laurel said.

"About what?" Oliver asked.

"The only way things in the Glades will change is if we have a mayor who actually understands the people of this city." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"So?" Oliver asked.

"So I've decided that I'll do it. I'm gonna run for mayor." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Good, I was hoping you'd say that. Because no one cares more about this city than you." Oliver said.

"Says the man who started a crusade to protect it." Laurel pointed out.

"The difference is that I prefer to do things outside the law." Oliver said and Laurel laughed as he kissed her.

"I just hope I can figure out how to do this." Laurel said.

"I'll talk to my mom tomorrow, though I'm sure that she and Walter will be more than happy to have Queen Consolidated fund your campaign." Oliver said.

"Great, but money isn't the only thing I'll need. I need a platform, a campaign office." Laurel said as she began thinking about all this stuff.

"Hey, slow down, the election isn't for months, you don't have to worry about all that tonight. Besides, I've already got some ideas in that regard." Oliver said, much to Laurel's surprise.

"Really, what are they?" Laurel asked.

"I'll tell you after we get some sleep. We may be vigilantes, but we still need to get at least 2 hours of sleep a night." Oliver said and Laurel laughed.

"Okay." Laurel said as she let Oliver drag her up to bed, wondering if she was crazy to do this.

* * *

"Oliver, what a nice surprise." Moira said as Oliver entered the parlor of the mansion the next day.

"Hey mom, I have something I need to talk to you and Walter about." Oliver said.

"I'll tell Walter, whatever it is later, what is it?" Moira asked.

"It's not about me taking a role in the company, I've made my feelings about that very clear." Oliver said, causing his mother to deflate a bit.

"What is it then?" Moira asked.

"Laurel has decided that she wants to run for mayor and I think she'd make a candidate." Oliver said and now Moira understood why Oliver was here.

"You want us to fund her campaign." Moira said.

"Yeah. I mean yes Laurel isn't exactly an ideal candidate, but frankly, I think that's what makes her the best choice. She actually understands the everyday people in the city." Oliver said.

"Well, I suppose it would be nice to be able to call the mayor my daughter-in-law." Moira said.

"Whoa, I haven't even asked her yet." Oliver said.

"But you will soon won't you?" Moira asked.

"I promise I will, I'm just still trying to figure out the right time and way to ask her." Oliver said.

"Well, if you need any suggestions, I'm sure your sister has plenty." Moira said.

"Speaking of which, we both know that Thea was listening in on this whole conversation right?" Oliver asked and Moira nodded.

"So Speedy, what do you think?" Oliver called out and after a moment, Thea walked in.

"I think that Laurel would make a good mayor. I mean she knows everyone in the legal system, either from her time as a lawyer or from her cop father. I mean, I'm pretty sure that she's on a first name basis with at least half the cops in the city." Thea said.

"And she's dedicated her life to helping people less fortunate, especially people in Glades. Becoming mayor would allow her to do that in a much larger capacity." Oliver said.

"I'll talk to Walter about this, but honestly I think you might be right. Laurel might be the kind of mayor we need." Moira said.

"There's no might be about it. She's the mayor this city needs and deserves." Oliver said.


	43. Chapter 43

"So, what is this place?" Laurel asked as she and Oliver entered a new building.

"This is your new campaign office." Oliver said, since while this wasn't the same building he'd set up his campaign office in, but it was nice.

"Wow, you already got me a campaign office?" Laurel asked.

"Well, we can't exactly have you campaign out of Verdant, a nightclub wouldn't be the best for your image." Oliver said and Laurel rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe I'm really going to do this." Laurel said.

"Hey, we still haven't announced your candidacy yet, so it's not too late to drop out." Oliver said.

"No, I want to do this." Laurel said.

"Good, because you're going to do great." Oliver said with a smile, right as his phone rang.

"Hello?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver, it's Lyla, I think we've got a potential hit on Slade." Lyla said.

"Where is he?" Oliver asked immediately.

"At the shutdown Star City location of Star Labs." Lyla said.

"I'm on it. Does Sara know?" Oliver asked.

"She left as soon as she heard. She's already en route." Lyla said.

"And in her current state, Slade will probably kill her." Oliver said as he hung up.

"What's going on?" Laurel asked.

"Slade's been spotted and Sara already knows. We need to get him before she does." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

* * *

White Canary was currently riding her motorcycle as fast as she possibly could towards the Star labs facility in Star City, since Slade had nearly killed the woman she loved and now she was going to kill him.

"White Canary, do you read me?" Oliver's voice said over the comms.

"Don't try and talk me down Ollie. Slade nearly killed the woman I love and there's still a chance I could lose her because of him. I'm taking his ass down now." White Canary said.

"Except you'd be the one going down Sara. Between Slade's enhanced strength and your current mental state, he will kill you." Green Arrow said as he and Black Canary rode on their own motorcycles towards Star City Star Labs.

"Maybe, but I'm gonna take him down with me if I can." White Canary said.

"Sara, please, think about what you're saying. The last time we lost you, it nearly destroyed our family. Even before mom left, she and dad barely spoke, their relationship ended. I get that you're angry, but at the same time, getting yourself killed won't change anything. And besides, think about Alex." Black Canary said.

"She's all I think about." White Canary said.

"She's going to wake up soon Sara and you need to be there for her when she does. You know the heartbreak you've been feeling since she entered her coma, she'll feel an even worse heartbreak if you die." Black Canary said.

"That's cold." White Canary said, though she knew her sister was right.

"Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't go after Slade, just at least wait until the rest of us get there so we can confront him as a team. We're at our strongest when we're together." Green Arrow said, since Spartan, Arsenal and Frostbite were also en route.

"Fine. But Oliver, if I get the chance, I'm going to kill him." Sara said.

"I know." Green Arrow said as she disconnected her comms.

* * *

When they arrived at the labs, no one was surprised to see Sara's motorcycle there without her anywhere near it.

"Of course she went in as soon as she got here without waiting for backup." Spartan said.

"I knew she would. Winn, you got eyes inside?" Green Arrow asked.

"Yep, it looks like Slade took hostages." Winn said.

"Okay, Spartan, Arsenal, you two free the hostages, Canary and Frostbite, you two are with me. The more power we have against Slade the better." Green Arrow said, placing the two members of his team with actual powers with him as they nodded and headed inside.


	44. Chapter 44

As soon as she'd finished her conversation with Green Arrow, White Canary had disconnected her comms, since she'd had no intention of waiting for the others to arrive like she'd said she would. Slade had nearly killed the woman she loved and now she'd finally get justice for her.

That was why as soon as she arrived at Star Labs, White Canary got off her bike and headed straight in. She was out for blood and she was determined to get it. No matter what.

She found Deathstroke in one of the storage vaults, it was clear he was ransacking equipment.

"I knew you'd find me first. You're the only one who feels my rage." Slade said, not even surprised when he saw White Canary standing there.

"You should've stayed hidden. You would've lived longer." White Canary said.

"I was going to say the same thing to you." Deathstroke said as he turned to fully face her.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Alex." White Canary said.

"Just like you'll pay for Shado." Deathstroke said as he unsheathed his sword and White Canary pulled out her batons as they charged each other.

* * *

Green Arrow, Black Canary and Frostbite were following the sounds of White Canary and Deathstroke's fight when suddenly, they heard a crash as Supergirl crashed through the ceiling.

"What brings you here?" Green Arrow asked.

"Special delivery from Star Labs." Supergirl said, tossing him a vial that he already recognized contained the cure.

"This is the cure?" Green Arrow asked and Supergirl nodded.

"We've only got two doses right now and the other one is for Alex. You only have one shot. Don't waste it." Supergirl said and Green Arrow nodded.

"If you guys can line up a shot for me, I can get it in him. Once we get the cure him, he'll lose his advantage." Green Arrow said and they all nodded.

"I think our biggest challenge will be getting Sara on the same page." Black Canary said.

"Especially since you don't want to kill Slade." Supergirl said.

"It might be hard for you guys to believe, but there is good in Slade somewhere. If we can get the Mirakuru out of him, there is a chance we can turn him from an enemy into an ally." Green Arrow said and the girls just nodded as they carried on.

* * *

White Canary was starting to get her ass kicked by Deathstroke when suddenly there was a sonic cry heard, send Slade flying back.

"Frostbite, check on White Canary. Supergirl, Black Canary, get me a shot." Green Arrow said and they all nodded as Frostbite ran over to where White Canary was lying on the floor while the others charged at Deathstroke.

While he did his best to repel his three attackers, it was clear that Deathstroke was outmatched by a kryptonian, a metahuman and his former student and soon Supergirl was holding him steady.

"Take shot." Supergirl shouted as Black Canary removed his helmet, just in time for Green Arrow to fire an arrow into his neck injecting him with the cure.

"What did you do to me?" Slade asked as Supergirl let him go.

"I injected you with the cure Slade. You're done." Green Arrow said as Deathstroke forced himself back to his feet.

"It wasn't the mirakuru that made me hate you." Deathstroke snarled.

"Stand down. He's mine. Go help the others." Green Arrow said to the girls, who nodded as they moved away, leaving the two former friends standing across from each other.

"Dumb move kid. Even without the Mirakuru, you were never a match for me." Deathstroke said as he pulled his helmet back on.

"Let's see if that's true." Green Arrow said as he lunged at Deathstroke, who perfectly blocked his bow with his sword as they began repeating the fight they'd had too many times until Green Arrow caught Deathstroke's blade with his hand and then used his bow to snap the blade like a twig.

"You're done Slade." Green Arrow said gruffly as before Deathstroke could react, he fired two cable arrows, snaring him to a support beam.

"Well kid, what are you going to do now?" Deathstroke said, recognizing he was beaten.

"I'm not going to kill you Slade. Not out of mercy, but because if I did, I'd only become the monster you think I am." Green Arrow said he then punched Slade's lights out.


	45. Chapter 45

"And now you know why I didn't want you take on Slade alone." Oliver said to Sara as she got patched up in the Argus medbay.

"I know, it was reckless and stupid, but still, he hurt the woman I love." Sara said.

"I know and if I had been in your position, I probably would've done the same exact thing as you. But Sara, we have the cure and Alex has been injected with it. Once she wakes up, she's going to need you at her side." Oliver said.

"She'll be lucky if I ever leave it again. But Ollie, why didn't you kill Slade?" Sara asked.

"Because if I did, I'd basically be the man he thinks I am. Besides, he may be a douchebag, no one knows that better than me, but he was still my friend once. I owe him my life, since if it weren't for him, I never would've learned to survive on the island. I owe him that much. Besides, he's got family to." Oliver said as he thought of Joe and the path Slade had inadvertently sent his son down.

"What are you gonna do with him?" Sara asked.

"Argus turned Lian Yu into a supermax prison shortly after I left it. I'm keeping him there until the mirakuru has had time to fully leave his system." Oliver said and Sara sighed and nodded as the doctors finished treating her.

"Okay Agent Lance, you should be good to go. Just take it easy for a few days." the doctor said, since Sara's injuries had actually looked worse than they actually were.

"Thank you." Sara said as she got up and moved over to Alex's bed and took her girlfriend's hand.

"I'm not leaving again until she does." Sara said and Oliver nodded as he moved to give the couple some time alone when Kara pulled him aside.

"What's up?" Oliver asked.

"I have another motive for coming to Star City this time besides helping you with Alex and Slade." Kara said.

"Okay and that is?" Oliver asked.

"Checking to see if the real Harrison Wells' body is buried where Barry said it would be. He's currently checking with the guy who started to make him suspicious about Wells in the first place, Hartley Rathaway, so I told him I'd check out Wells' body while I was here." Kara said and Oliver nodded.

"Need some help?" Oliver asked.

"I need you to make sure no one finds out about this. We're trying to keep Thawne in the dark about the fact that we're on to him." Kara said and Oliver nodded.

"I've always been curious about what happened to the real Wells' body before he was outed." Oliver said.

"Then come on. We'll be back before Alex wakes up. I hope." Kara said as she grabbed Oliver and super sped out of the building before flying off, since she didn't think her sister would appreciate her putting a hole in her ceiling.

* * *

When they arrived at the location Barry had given Kara, Oliver kept watch while Supergirl used her speed and strength to quickly unearth the body.

"Yep, right where Barry said it would be. I need to get this back to Central City so Cisco can confirm it's him. Once we do, then we can start getting Caitlin and the others on our side." Kara said and Oliver nodded.

"Let me know if you need any help with Thawne. I helped Barry against him once and I owe you guys for helping me take down Slade in the first place." Oliver said and Kara nodded.

"Will do. Now, I'll rush this back to Central City and then come back to take you back to Argus so we'll be there when Alex wakes up." Kara said.

* * *

Sara was currently sitting at Alex's side, waiting patiently for Alex to wake up when suddenly, the heart rate monitor began fluctuating as Alex's eyes opened.

"Sara." Alex asked, her voice a bit scratchy from it's lack of use lately.

"Alex, thank god I was so worried." Sara said as she kissed her before Alex could say anything else.

"What happened?" Alex asked.

"Alex, you've been in a coma for weeks. It's a long story." Sara said as she told Alex everything.

"And you've been by my side this whole time." Alex asked.

"Yeah, aside from a brief attempted revenge trip against Slade. Did not end the way I wanted it to, but we got him in the end." Sara said.

"Sara, I'm flattered that you did that, but please, don't go after someone like that again without backup." Alex said.

"No promises." Sara said as she kissed Alex again.

"So, where's my sister?" Alex asked.

"She and Oliver had something to do. I didn't ask but they said they'd be back soon." Sara said and Alex nodded.

"Also, Alex, I have something I want to talk to you about." Sara said, taking a deep breath.

"What? I know it's not a breakup speech since you wouldn't have spent all this time waiting for me to wake up just to dump me." Alex said and Sara smiled.

"No. It's not that. It's actually in opposite direction. I want us to start looking for a real place together. Not just crashing in each other's apartments, I want to start building a real life with you. Starting with finding a place for us to live together, since neither of our apartments are really built for long term stay of more than one person." Sara said, wondering how Alex would take it.

"You sure we're ready for that?" Alex asked.

"I know I am, but I'll understand if you aren't. But Alex, either way, as long as I have you in my life, I'll be happy. I love you." Sara said, saying those words to Alex for the first time, shocking her.

"I love you to Sara." Alex said as they kissed again before pulling apart.

"You don't have to answer me now, just promise you'll think about it." Sara said.

"I will, I promise." Alex assured her.


	46. Chapter 46

**This chapter will contain the part that I'm sure lot's of my readers have been waiting for.**

* * *

"I can't believe you're actually going to run for mayor." Sara said to her sister as Sara entered her campaign office, which was full of people, thanks to Oliver and Thea's influence on social media.

"Neither can I, but Oliver is persuasive. Besides, he and Roy were right. The city needs someone who actually understands its problems to lead it and considering I spend my days helping people who are affected by those problems and my nights actually trying to solve those problems, it seems natural." Laurel said.

"Well, good luck. I hope you win, since then you'll be dad's boss." Sara said and Laurel laughed.

"Does dad know you're planning on running for mayor?" Sara asked curiously.

"Are you kidding, I haven't even been elected yet and he's already trying to get me to put an anti vigilante law in place." Laurel said.

"Really, I thought he was coming around on the Green Arrow and his team." Sara said.

"I don't know what goes through that man's head and frankly I have no desire to find out." Laurel said and Sara couldn't argue with that as Oliver joined them.

"Laurel, if you're ready, it's time to announce your candidacy." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as she followed her boyfriend into the main room, where the press was currently gathered and posters reading vote for Lance were hanging.

"Thank you all for coming. My name is Dinah Laurel Lance and I stand here before you all today to announce my decision to run to become the mayor of Star City. Now I know that people may not see me as the obvious choice, since I have to admit, I'm not a politician. But maybe that's why I'm the best person for the job. I've lived in Star City my whole life. I've devoted my life to helping people with nothing get justice through the legal system. I'm not ignorant to this city's problems. And one of the greatest issues I've seen in this city is the division within it. A division I hope to heal. If you elect me, I will do everything I can to unify our city because it is more than just a city. It is our home and if we want to protect our home, we must truly come together as both a city and a community." Laurel said as she finished her speech and everyone began cheering for her as the cameras turned off.

"Well said." Oliver said.

"Well, you helped me write it." Laurel said as she kissed him.

"Well, now we've kicked off your campaign, time to start actually running it." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

* * *

John had just returned to his apartment after work, but honestly, his work as both a bodyguard and as Spartan just wasn't as rewarding as it had once been. He was honestly starting to feel like his life had lost purpose.

Anyways, he'd just grabbed a beer from his fridge when suddenly, there was a huge flash of green light in his apartment and suddenly, wounded man wearing some kind of green suit and ring and carrying a green lantern fell onto his couch.

"What the hell?" John asked as he dropped his beer and ran to help him. The man was in very bad shape as John got a better look at him.

"Are you okay?" John asked as the man's mask suddenly disappeared.

"No, I don't have much time left." the man said.

"Who are you?" John asked.

"My name is Hal Jordan and I am, or was the Green Lantern." the man said, confusing John further, but knowing he needed to do something, he decided to call Oliver, since this seemed like the kind of weirdness he'd have experience with.


	47. Chapter 47

"And you're sure you've never heard of anyone or anything like this?" John asked Oliver, who shook his head.

"No, nothing. But this lantern, it looks alien to me. So I called in someone who might be able to help us figure out who or what this guy is." Oliver said as Kara flew into the room.

"So what's the emergency?" Kara asked before she spotted Hal.

"Whoa, I never thought I'd actually get to meet one of these guys." Kara said as she moved next to Hal.

"You recognize what I am?" Hal asked.

"I grew up hearing stories about your people. I thought you were a legend." Kara said.

"No, we're real." Hal said as he gripped his side.

"Wait, you know what this guy is?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, he's a Green Lantern, they're like an intergalactic police force, the best of the best. Sworn to protecting the universe. I had no idea there were any human lanterns." Kara said.

"So he's a good guy?" John asked.

"There aren't many people out there better than Green Lanterns." Kara confirmed as she helped Hal sit up, but he groaned in pain.

"What happened to you?" Oliver asked, relaxing now that he knew this guy was an ally.

"Not really sure honestly. I was patrolling the stars when something attacked me and the next thing I know, I'm badly hurt back on my home planet." Hal said as he coughed up some blood.

"So what brought you here?" John asked.

"This." Hal said as he held up his ring.

"A green lantern ring." Kara said and Hal nodded.

"My injuries are too severe to be healed by Earth's science and there's no time for me to get to a planet that can heal me. I'm dying. So I told my ring to take me to someone worthy of taking my mantle. It brought me here. To you Mr. Diggle." Hal said.

"Why me?" John asked.

"The ring will select someone with an indomitable will, morals, bravery and honor **(I can't remember what the exact qualities of a Green Lantern are, but these seem about right)**." Hal said.

"Wait, the ring?" Oliver asked.

"The ring is the source of a Green Lantern's power. It channels the willpower of all sentient beings in the universe into energy which powers the ring and makes a person the Green Lantern. The ring will only select someone it believes is worthy of that power and it seems like you are the one it wants to become the new Green Lantern." Hal said as he took off his ring and handed it to John.

"Wait, I could be real superhero?" John asked and Hal nodded as his suit vanished and he was wearing normal clothes again.

"Yeah, but you need to consider your choice carefully. Once you commit to the Corp, there's no turning back. You have a choice, you can either reject the ring and send it to find someone else to take my mantle or you can recite the oath to the Lantern and gain powers you've never even dreamed of before." Hal said before he finally succumb to his injuries.

"He's gone." Kara said, hearing his heart stop.

"YOu okay?" Oliver asked her, concerned.

"Can't save them all right. Besides, his time had come and at least he went out with honor. But now John, you have a decision to make." Kara said as John looked at the ring in his hand.

"I don't know what to do." John admitted.

"I'd love to help you out, but I need to get back to Central City. I'll be in touch." Kara said as she flew out the window.

"You want to do this don't you John?" Oliver asked.

"I do, but I also don't want to abandon you or the team." John said.

"Joh, you're not abandoning us. Something tells me that this was always your destiny. To be a hero, not just my sidekick. I'd never be able to forgive myself if you turned down this opportunity because of me. The team will understand and they'll be happy for you John. And honestly, I think we both knew that someday you'd be striking out on your own. We just didn't think it would happen until later." Oliver said and John sighed.

"You're sure about this man?" John asked.

"Yes, but only if you want to do it. But John, you should know that whatever you decided to do, you'll always be more than a bodyguard or a friend to me. You're my brother and nothing will ever change that." Oliver said, knowing that he needed to let John become the hero he'd always been destined to be. Besides, now his team would only have people who left without being manipulated by Diaz as he left John's apartment.

John spent a while just looking at the ring in his hand and the lantern on his table before making his decision as he slid the ring on and suddenly, he began speaking before he even realized what he was saying.

" In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight, let those who worship evil's might, beware my power... Green Lantern's light!" John recited, having no idea how he knew those words, but suddenly both the lantern and his new ring began glowing and in a flash of bright green light, both he and Hal's body disappeared.

* * *

 **Well, John is officially the new Green Lantern and I will be minimizing his role in the story from now on, since he'll be spending less time on earth now that he's the Green Lantern. I feel like part of the reason John left Team Arrow last season wasn't just because of Oliver stringing him along, but also him getting tired of always seeming to be living in Oliver's shadow.**


	48. Chapter 48

"So, John's gone?" Thea asked as Oliver told the team about John's decision.

"Yeah, but come on guys, an opportunity like this, could we honestly expect him to turn this down. Besides, I think he was beginning to feel a bit lost in all our firepower." Oliver said.

"Of course not, I mean this Green Lantern thing, it sounds incredible. Any of us would've taken that offer." Laurel said and Thea, Winn, Roy and Sara all nodded in agreement.

"Besides, we've got enough muscle to handle things here without him." Oliver said.

"Well, I hate to change the subject, but Oliver, we need to get going, since we're meeting with my new campaign manager today." Laurel said and Oliver nodded as they headed out.

* * *

"I'm Alex Davis, it's nice to meet you both in person." Alex said as he shook Oliver and Laurel's hands.

"You to. So, let's get this meeting started shall we." Laurel said and Alex nodded.

"Honestly I think that the first thing we need to do is address what is probably the biggest threat to your campaign." Alex said.

"And that would be?" Laurel asked.

"Him." Alex said, nodding at Oliver.

"Me?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, I mean, let's face it, I'm sure your family has some shady things in it's past and now your relationship can cause those things to be reflected on Laurel's candidacy. I mean you weren't exactly a faithful boyfriend to her before." Alex said.

"Okay, so, what do you recomend?" Laurel asked.

"Try putting some distance between each other. If there's no relationship then those actions can't be used against Laurel." Alex said.

"You want us to break up?" Oliver asked.

"Not an option. I'm pretty sure that my dating Oliver is the only reason Queen Consolidated is financing my campaign and I think that the fact that I'm willing to forgive Oliver for his many transgressions may be seen as a positive thing. If I was going to break up with him, I never would've taken him back to begin with. We're in this together." Laurel said and Alex sighed.

"Okay then. Oliver, can you at least talk to your family, go through the old records and try and catch anything incriminating before the press or any future opponents do?" Alex asked.

"I will head to the mansion after this meeting and talk to my mom about that very thing. The fewer skeletons we have in the closet the better." Oliver said, since he knew that they'd get through the election without anyone's identity being compromised, since he had.

"Okay then, also, you should talk to your sister Sara." Alex said.

"Why, is it because she's bisexual?" Laurel asked.

"No, that's actually something we can use to our advantage, since having a member of your family who's bi can help you appeal to that portion of the community. No I'm talking about the fact that your sister went through the same thing as your boyfriend, though slightly different experiences. You should make sure that there isn't anything there we don't want people to know about." Alex said and Laurel nodded as they continued on with the meeting.

* * *

After the meeting, Oliver headed over to the mansion.

"Oliver, what a nice surprise." Moira said as she hugged her son.

"Hi mom. I'm actually here to help with Laurel's campaign." Oliver said.

"How so?" Moira asked.

"Her campaign manager says that since Laurel and I are dating, the mistakes of our family could end up reflecting back on her. I came here to see if we could find any skeletons in the closets to get rid of before the press finds them." Oliver said and he could tell that he'd made his mother uncomfortable, since while he already knew about Thea, he also knew that she had other secrets that he was probably about to learn, since there was a chance he'd also learn more secrets about his father.


	49. Chapter 49

After talking to his mother and her being adamant on keeping her secrets exactly that, secret, Oliver decided that they'd need to use more lucrative methods of removing the skeletons.

"So, what do you need me to do?" Winn asked.

"Right now, we need to find any skeletons in my family's closet that could be seen as damaging to Laurel's campaign and my mom isn't budging. I need to know what she's hiding and if there's anything else I should be aware of anyways." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Okay, any ideas on what to look for?" Winn asked.

"Phone records, offshore bank accounts, anything that looks suspicious or out of place." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Should I just look into members of your family that are still alive?" Winn asked and Oliver knew what he was really asking.

"Dig as deep into my father as you can. I started this crusade to honor him, but honestly, I'm beginning to wonder how much of him I actually knew." Oliver said and Winn nodded as he began digging.

* * *

"So, how'd it go at the mansion?" Laurel asked when Oliver returned to their penthouse.

"My mom was predictably stubborn. Apparently there are some secrets she thinks should stay secret. That's why I have Winn searching for anything damaging right now. But what about your family?" Oliver asked.

"Alex said that the worst thing about my family the press could dig up is my father's alcoholism and that's no real secret." Laurel said.

"And to think, they'd have no idea that the mayor is actually the Black Canary." Oliver said as he sat down on the couch next to her.

"Whoa there Ollie. I haven't been elected yet." Laurel said and Oliver decided that since it was probably going to come up anyway in Winn's search, he might as well be honest with Laurel now.

"Laurel, you probably know that I haven't been honest with you about all the women I cheated on you with right?" Oliver asked.

"I suspected that there were a few names I never found out about, but I forgave you for that when I took you back. Why are you bringing it up now?" Laurel asked.

"Because it's something that might come up in your campaign. One of the girls I slept with was Samantha Clayton." Oliver said.

"From college?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah. I honestly don't even remember why I did it anymore, I think I was drunk, but that's not why I'm telling you." Oliver said.

"Then why are you telling me?" Laurel asked, not sure how to feel about this.

"Because she got pregnant off it." Oliver said, much to Laurel's shock.

"You have a kid?" Laurel asked.

"No, she had a miscarriage and moved away shortly after. But I'm telling you now because even though you have no reason to forgive me for this, I thought it would be better if I told you myself instead of letting you find out some other way." Oliver said, since even though he knew that it was a lie and that he was a father, no one suspected he knew yet aside from Cisco and maybe Barry and Kara and also, it had been his lying to Felicity about William that had destroyed their relationship the first time.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in." Laurel said.

"Yeah, I'll understand if you want to call things off between us." Oliver said as he moved to get up, but Laurel grabbed his wrist.

"I won't deny that a part of me is still furious with you about this, but I am relieved that you felt like you could tell me this instead of trying to hide it from me, because if I'd found out the wrong way, I never would have forgiven you. Honestly, I probably would've outed you and thrown you in prison." Laurel said.

"And I wouldn't blame you. But how are you being so understanding about this?" Oliver asked.

"Because getting mad at you now would be like getting mad at a complete stranger. You are not that same obnoxious, spoiled frat boy who slept with other women while he was dating me. You're a much better man now and like I told you before, you've suffered enough for your sins. But honestly Ollie, I think we should consider relationship therapy or something." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"You know that there is nothing I wouldn't do for you Laurel." Oliver said.

"I know and that's why I know I made the right choice by giving you another chance." Laurel said as Oliver kissed her.

"I love you." Oliver said as things began to speed up.

"I love you to." Laurel said before she truly allowed herself to become lost in their kiss.

* * *

 **So now Laurel knows about Oliver's affair with Samantha. What do you think?**


	50. Chapter 50

The next morning, Laurel was surprised to wake up to breakfast in bed.

"It isn't a holiday is it?" Laurel asked her boyfriend as he placed a food tray in front of her.

"No, but considering how quick you were to forgive me after what I told you yesterday, I figured bringing you breakfast in bed was the least I could do. Following last night." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as she began eating.

"I should forgive you for that sort of stuff more often. Kidding of course." Laurel said as Oliver's phone rang.

"Hey Winn, what's up?" Oliver asked.

"I found something that I think you and Laurel should see while I was searching. Thea to." Winn said.

"Call them and have them meet us at the base." Oliver said, wondering what Winn had found.

* * *

"So why exactly did all of us need to be here for this?" Thea asked Winn once they'd all gathered in the lair.

"Because while I was digging into your family's past, I found some interesting transactions that I thought you might want to be aware of." Winn said.

"And they are." Laurel asked.

"First off would be a check Moira wrote of 1 million dollars to some woman named Samantha Clayton. That mean anything to you?" Winn asked as Oliver and Laurel exchanged looks.

"That one might be the most damaging report of them all, since Samantha was one of my many mistresses while I was dating Laurel." Oliver said.

"But mom never paid off any of the other girls you slept with. If she did, we'd be broke." Thea said, only to have Oliver glare at her.

"Oliver told me last night that apparently he got Samantha pregnant, but she miscarried." Laurel said.

"But she didn't tell me that until after I told mom about the baby. She told me she'd take care of it." Oliver said.

"You don't think she?" Thea asked.

"Paid Samantha off to lie to me. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm starting to think. Any other concerns we should know about?" Oliver asked, trying to control his anger, since he thought he'd already come to terms with his mother keeping his son a secret from him, but it turns out even after all this time, he was still harboring some anger towards her.

"Next would a purchase of a warehouse for 2.6 million dollars from back in 2009 under some corporation called Tempest." Winn said and Oliver knew what that was.

"We'll investigate that later. Anything else?" Oliver asked.

"Uh, apparently your mom paid off a Dr. Gill about 18 years ago." Winn said.

"That's the doctor who delivered Thea." Oliver said.

"What is mom hiding?" Thea asked.

"We need to unbury all these secrets, no matter how unpleasant they may be, this is about more than just Laurel's campaign now." Oliver said and Laurel nodded in agreement.

"Huh, this is interesting." Winn said.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Your dad had some offshore accounts that he clearly used to help finance some more lucrative endeavors. One of those accounts is still paying to rent a storage locker in Orchid Bay under your mother's name." Winn said.

"We need to know what's in that locker." Oliver said.

"Also, it looks like a few months after Thea was born, your parents used the same account to pay someone named T. Snow a fairly large amount of money." Winn said.

"So we divide and conquer. Thea and I will go confront our mom about this directly, Laurel, you and Sara go check out this warehouse. Winn, have the contents of the storage locker transferred to my penthouse, we'll look over everything there." Oliver said, right as his phone went off.

"Hello? Kara, what's going on?" Oliver asked as he listened to Kara talk on the other side of the call.

"Okay, we'll be there." Oliver said.

"What's going on?" Thea asked.

"Change of plans. That was Kara, apparently she and her team need some help with something in Central City, so this can wait until we get back." Oliver said.

"We're going just like that?" Laurel asked.

"She helped us against Slade without a second thought, time to return the favor. Besides, now you guys also get to meet the Flash." Oliver said.

"Okay, but we shouldn't leave the city vulnerable." Laurel said.

"Winn, tell Sara and Roy that they're in charge of protecting the city while the three of us head to Central City to help Kara out." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Also, while we're gone, Sara's in charge." Oliver said as he, Laurel and Thea moved to grab their suits.

* * *

 **So, the final battle against Thawne is coming in Love Rewritten. Also, if I do decide to bring in the Legends, any suggestions on members, since it will need a new lineup.**


	51. Chapter 51

Oliver and Laurel had decided to stop for coffee at Jitters before heading back to Star City.

"Any reason why you wanted to get coffee?" Laurel asked him.

"Well for one thing, Barry has his own drink now." Oliver said, referring to the return of the Flash coffee.

"Think we'll ever get one of those?" Laurel asked.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. Most of what we do is done in the shadows, out of the public eye." Oliver said as suddenly, someone bumped into him.

"Oh, sorry mister." a familiar young voice said and Oliver saw that it was William who's bumped into him.

"William." a voice that also made Laurel's head turn to see Samantha Clayton walk up to them.

"Sorry about that." Samantha said before she recognized them.

"Oliver, Laurel, what brings you guys to Central City?" Samantha asked.

"Helping out a friend." Oliver said, trying to get over his shock at seeing Samantha alive again.

"Well, it was nice to see you again, but William, we need to go if you want to make the game." Samantha said and William nodded as he let his mother lead him out.

"You okay?" Laurel asked.

"That boy, William, he looks about the right age." Oliver said and Laurel now understood the look on his face.

"You think he's?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah, I do. We know my mom paid Samantha a lot of money to possibly lie to me about this." Oliver said.

"I think I'll hang back at the hotel alone tonight. You need to confront her about this." Laurel said and Oliver nodded, since while he'd been hoping to keep William as far away from his life as he could, it looked like he had no choice now.

"You sure you don't want to come with me?" Oliver asked.

"This is something I think is best you do alone." Laurel said as she kissed him.

* * *

That night, Oliver took a deep breath as he thought about what he was about to do and knocked on Samantha's door.

"Oliver, what are you doing here? How did you even find my address?" Samantha asked, about why Oliver was here.

"I used this ancient technology called the phone book." Oliver said and Samantha actually rolled her eyes at that.

"So why are you here?" Samantha asked.

"Samantha, I know my mother paid you off while you were pregnant." Oliver said.

"What are you talking about?" Samantha hopelessly tried.

"I found records of her writing a check to you on the same week you told me you were pregnant. And your son, he looks the right age." Oliver said and Samantha could tell that the jig was up.

"Okay, yes, he's yours." Samantha said.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to take him away from you, if anything, with everything going on in my life right now, he's better off without me in it." Oliver said, hating every word he said.

"Good, so we agree." Samantha said.

"But, could you at least let me pay child support every once and awhile? I won't visit, he won't even have to know it's from me, but this is the only request I'm making of you Samantha. Let me have some kind of role in our son's life." Oliver said.

"Child support is fine. But nothing else." Samantha said.

"And I am telling Laurel about him, since she already suspects and I promised her I wouldn't lie to her anymore." Oliver said and Samantha sighed.

"I can live with that. And Oliver, I'm sorry things have to be this way, but I'm glad that you understand why they do." Samantha said.

"Before I go, one more question." Oliver said.

"No, I never cashed your mother's check. I didn't want the money. I didn't need it to know I never wanted William around you." Samantha said and Oliver flinched.

"That's fair. I hope that one day maybe things can be different. Until then, I'll make sure no one else aside from us and Laurel know about William." Oliver said, though he was really going to be telling his team.

"Okay." Samantha said as Oliver finally left.

* * *

"Well?" Laurel asked when Oliver finally came back to their hotel room.

"Samantha confirmed it. William is my son." Oliver said.

"So, did you two discuss visitation or anything?" Laurel asked.

"No. We both agreed that William does not need me in his life. She agreed to let me provide child support, but that's it." Oliver said as he sat down on the bed.

"You don't want to get to know your son?" Laurel asked.

"Actually, there's nothing I'd like more, but as his father, I have to do what I think is best for him and right now, that means not getting him involved in the craziness of my life. Which also means keeping my distance from him." Oliver said as Laurel put a hand on his shoulder as she sat down next to him.

"That decision alone proves how good a father you really are. And when we have kids, you'll be just good with them." Laurel said.

"You really want to have kids with me?" Oliver asked with a smile.

"Some day, yes, I do want a family with you Ollie." Laurel said.

"I'd be the fun parent." Oliver said with a chuckle.

"And you'd leave the discipline to me?" Laurel asked.

"To be fair, you had much better role models in that regard." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Fair point. But are you sure you're okay?" Laurel asked.

"I will be. In time." Oliver said.

"Then let's get some sleep. We need to head back to Star City tomorrow." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.


	52. Chapter 52

**This chapter will really start to deviate from the arrowverse and it will also hopefully answer the question of how Thea got her powers and also reveal some other long hidden secrets of Moira Queen. Also, just a reminder, don't spend too much time hoping for a legends since I'm probably not going to even do it, since frankly, Legends is the show I watch the least right now. Anyways, enjoy the story.**

* * *

The following day, before returning to Star City, Oliver decided that he needed to talk to Caitlin, since it sounded like his mother had paid someone in her family a lot of money and he was curious if she had any idea why and he also wondered if maybe this was another side effect of the reality rewrite.

"Oliver, what can I do for you?" Caitlin asked, surprised when she found him outside the door of her apartment.

"While we were doing research for Laurel's campaign, since she's running for mayor of Star City, we came across a transaction between my mother and someone named T. Snow. You have any family with the first initial T?" Oliver asked.

"My father. His name was Thomas Snow. He died about 17 years ago." Caitlin said.

"The transaction was dated about 18 or 19 years ago. Do you have any ideas?" Oliver asked as he remembered the story Barry had told him about Caitlin's father, aka, the Icicle.

"No, but then again, my parents divorced around that time. I never really asked my mom why she did it. But maybe I should, since maybe whatever your mom was paying my dad for had something to do with it." Caitlin said.

"Can you let me know what you find out?" Oliver asked.

"Will do." Caitlin assured him as he left.

* * *

After returning to Star City, the first thing Oliver did was confront his mother, with Thea in tow, since there were still secrets that needed to be put on the table, including the truth about Thea's father.

"Oliver, Thea, what a surprise." Moira said.

"I know what you did mom." Oliver said.

"Excuse me?" Moira asked, thinking that was a long list and while she didn't realize her son knew a lot of what was on it, she didn't know which thing she was talking about.

"I know that you paid Samantha off to tell me she miscarried. I ran into while I was in Central City and she told me everything. And even if she hadn't, we found records of the check you wrote her while we were cleaning the closets for Laurel's campaign." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I can explain." Moira said.

"Explain what. How you didn't want me to know my own child. How you paid someone to keep that secret from me. That's how you handled the problem?" Oliver demanded angrily, since he now realized that he still held a lot of anger towards his mother over what she did with Samantha and William and now he finally had a chance to let it go and confront her about all this.

"I know you're angry and you have every right to be Oliver. But you were clearly weren't ready to be a parent and I knew the only way to get you to stop worrying was eliminate the problem." Moira said.

"Translation, having your son get a girl pregnant would look bad to the press and you knew that you couldn't keep it quiet forever." Oliver said as Thea put a hand on her brother's shoulder to calm him down, since while she understood his anger, it also wouldn't get anything else done.

"We're here to put all the secrets on the table." Thea said, or at least all her secrets, since Oliver and Thea had to keep their identities secret to protect the people they cared about.

"Sit down then. I can tell I'm not getting out of this, so we might as well get comfortable. This could take awhile." Moira said.

"Okay then. How did you know Thomas Snow?" Oliver asked as they took their seats.

"Thomas Snow. I have not heard that name in a long time. However, I cannot answer that question without also revealing some less than savory details about your father." Moira said.

"And that is?" Thea asked.

"Robert was many things, including a wonderful father, but he was not a faithful husband to me. After I caught him with his latest fling at the time, I had a moment of weakness." Moira said.

"So this Thomas Snow is a guy you slept with to get even with dad?" Oliver asked.

"Partly. He's recently been divorced from his own wife, the CEO of Tannhauser industries, I never asked him for the details, but he was brilliant scientist. He'd been working on developing a way to use cryogenics to freeze the progression of ALS. I met him at a hotel bar one night and after a few too many drinks, I woke up in his room the next morning." Moira said.

"So, you paid him off to keep your affair quiet?" Thea asked.

"Actually it was to support his research. I never wanted your father to find out, since despite his own actions, he was a very jealous man. I kept it off the books because I didn't want your father to go after Thomas." Moira said.

"Mom, you're still hiding something from us. What is it?" Oliver asked.

"9 months after my affair with Thomas Snow, Thea was born." Moira said.

"Wait, mom, are you saying?" Thea asked.

"Yes. Thea, Thomas is your father." Moira said.

* * *

 **Surprise twist. I actually want to thank ClaceLover08 for this idea due to a random comment inthe reviews. Everyone's wondering how Thea got her powers and this was the perfect solution. She's the Icicle's daughter.**


	53. Chapter 53

To say Oliver was surprised was an understatement. He'd assumed that Thea's father was still Malcolm Merlyn, but it turns out when he'd changed reality, he'd changed Thea's father to. Though now that he thought about this explained her powers. His best guess was that Thomas had either treated himself before he had his affair with his mother or that he'd at some point given Thea the same procedure in the past.

"Mom, I'm just curious, when Thea was little, did she ever have any procedures done?" Oliver asked and Thea looked at him confused.

"Yes. One of my biggest concerns when Thea was born was that she'd inherit her father's ALS. The complications that followed her birth only increased those fears." Moira said.

"Wait, I was born with ALS?" Thea asked, scared that she was dying.

"Thea, do you really think your father and I would let you suffer like that. You're father didn't know how you carried the marker for it, but we both began searching for treatment options and eventually, we came across an experimental procedure that could theoretically freeze the progression of the disease. It had already been performed before and the patient survived, so your father and I arranged to have to have the treatment administered as quickly as possible and it worked. You were healthy and actually Thea, you never got sick again. I mean, you still had some broken bones and injuries, but your immune system was impressive." Moira said.

"So, not only am I a bastard child, you also had me experimented on when I just a baby?" Thea asked.

"Thea, I didn't tell you about your father because I didn't want you to feel any less loved. And we didn't tell you about the treatment because we didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. The procedure worked and you grew up happy and healthy. That's what's important." Moira said.

"I know and mom, I do understand why you didn't tell me, but still, Ollie, can I stay with you and Laurel for a bit while I wrap my head around this?" Thea asked and Oliver looked at his mother, who nodded and Oliver then nodded as well.

"Of course Speedy." Oliver said.

"Is there anything else you want to ask me?" Moira asked.

"I think that's enough for today. We've had enough surprises already." Oliver said, for while he still wanted answers, he knew that Thea needed time to adapt to what she'd just learned.

* * *

"So, how'd it go?" Laurel asked.

"Well, my mom confirmed she did pay off Samantha, but she also told us something even more shocking." Oliver said, since even he was surprised, since he'd known that Thea was only his half sister, he'd been surprised by who her father was.

"What?" Roy asked as they all turned to Thea.

"She told me that Robert Queen is not my biological father." Thea said.

"Wait, Moira had an affair?" Sara asked.

"Apparently our dad was not a faithful husband to her and eventually mom had enough and she decided to retaliate with a scientist named Thomas Snow." Oliver said.

"The same name she paid a lot of money to." Laurel said.

"Apparently that was just money to help support his research." Thea said and Laurel sighed in relief, since at least that wouldn't be damaging to her campaign.

"Wow, that's intense." Roy said and Thea nodded.

"Thea, I know this is hard for you." Oliver said.

"You have no idea what I'm going through. At least you knew who both of your parents really are. Mom lied to me for years." Thea said as her eyes began to get frosty.

"Thea, you need to calm down, you're losing control." Oliver said as Thea noticed.

"Where did these powers come from anyways? I wasn't in Central City when the accelerator blew, so how am I meta?" Thea asked.

"I don't know, but I think maybe it's time we start looking for answers to that." Oliver said.

"How? We don't even know where to start." Thea said.

"Well, mom said that Thomas used cryogenics to try and freeze his ALS. Maybe we could start there." Oliver said.

"We could ask Caitlin to look over your dad's old research, since he's also her dad." Laurel said.

"Right, suddenly I also have a big sister. Not sure how I'm going to tell her that." Thea said.

"Well, we don't have to tell her tonight." Oliver said before changing the subject.

"Anyways, did you guys check out that warehouse?" Oliver asked and Sara and Roy nodded.

"I couldn't believe what I saw inside." Sara said.

"Why, what was it?" Laurel asked.

"It was the remains of the Queen's Gambit." Sara said.


	54. Chapter 54

"You're back sooner than I thought you would've been." Moira said as Oliver returned to the mansion.

"Well, when I found out that you'd secretly had the remains of the Queen's Gambit, I felt like that deserved a conversation. Alone." Oliver said, making it clear to his mother that he wanted to hear her say it.

"Oliver, it's complicated." Moira said.

"Then uncomplicate it. Mom, that ship is the reason dad is dead. It's the reason Sara and I were both missing and believed to be dead for 5 years. I deserve to know what was really going on." Oliver said and Moira sighed.

"It's a long story." Moira said.

"Then start explaining." Oliver said and Moira nodded.

"Years ago, an organization called tempest was formed by your father and Malcolm Merlyn. They were trying to gentrify the Glades by forcing the city's worst to do what is best. But eventually, Malcolm decided that they were moving too slowly. After his wife was killed there, he decided on his own that the Glades were beyond saving, so the only way to help them was to destroy them so he could rebuild it." Moira said.

"The undertaking." Oliver said and Moira nodded.

"Your father initially threw in with Malcolm, but he came to his senses. The real reason the Gambit was going to China was because your father was trying to put moves in place to prevent Malcolm's plans from coming true." Moira said.

"Why didn't he just report it to the police?" Oliver asked, though he knew the answer.

"Malcolm was a maniac. Your father was worried about repercussions Malcolm would bring down on us if he did and rightly so." Moira said.

"The Gambit sinking wasn't an accident was it?" Oliver asked and Moira shook her head.

"No. Malcolm somehow got word of what your father was planning, so he sabotaged the Gambit. He came to me and told me himself. He also told me that if I told anyone about it or anything he planned, he wouldn't kill me, but he'd kill Thea. I had the Gambit salvaged as leverage to use against him." Moira said.

"You were doing what you had to in order to keep your family safe. I understand that. But still, we need to have the remains of the Gambit properly disposed of, since with Malcolm gone, there's no need to have it sitting there." Oliver said and Moira nodded.

"I'll take care of that." Moira said.

"Mom are there any other things about you or dad that I should know about?" Oliver asked.

"About me, I don't think so, but your father had his own secrets and I'm not sure even I know them all." Moira said, though there was one secret she desperately hoped Oliver would never find out about, since she knew he'd never forgive her if he did.

Oliver could tell that his mother was lying which meant that there was still something else she'd done that she was trying to keep hidden, but he knew that he had to find out what it was. But before he could give it anymore thought, his phone rang.

"Hello?" Oliver asked.

"Hey, you need to get back to the base, now." Laurel said.

"On my way." Oliver said as he hung up.

* * *

"What's going on?" Oliver asked as he entered the lair.

"We've got a new player to deal with." Sara said as she tossed photos down for them to see.

"How'd you get these?" Oliver asked.

"You forget that my day job is Argus. Gives me access to law enforcement. But what's really interesting would be the calling card." Sara said as she showed them an image of a golden coin and now Oliver knew exactly who they were dealing with.

"Winn, run it through the criminal database. We need to know if this is an MO and if so, who's it is." Oliver said and Winn nodded as Laurel looked at her boyfriend.

"Everything alright?" Laurel asked.

"This just points out another reason for you to become mayor." Oliver said.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"You'd have access to intel that we need at a much faster rate." Oliver explained.

"Then we need to start working harder on my campaign. I mean right now I'm running unopposed, but that can always change." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"We've got a hit." Winn said.

"Who is it?" Oliver asked.

"One Tobias Church. He's one of the biggest crime lords in Keystone, Hub City, Bludhaven and White Holland." Winn said.

"And now he's going to try to add Star City to the list." Oliver sighed.

"Not if we can help it." Laurel said.

"Okay, Sara, case the crime scene, if anyone gives you any trouble, say it's related to an Argus case, the rest of us will see what we can dig up here." Oliver said and they all nodded.

* * *

 **I know some of you were probably hoping for Emiko to be introduced in this chapter, but for right now, I'm waiting till I get a bit more info about her and I also have an idea to use the Church arc to bring her in.**


	55. Chapter 55

Alex was only half surprised when she watched her girlfriend enter her office.

"Never really pictured you as the office type." Sara said with a smile.

"Job comes with perks. Something you know all too well." Alex said, since they'd taken advantage of the privacy of Alex's office more than once.

"Yep. But that's not why I'm here." Sara said with a smile.

"Then why are you here? I thought you preferred to hang out with Team Arrow." Alex said.

"I need to know if Tobias Church has any federal warrants out for him?" Sara asked.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Because he's here in Star City and until Laurel becomes mayor, the fastest way for us to get intel from the SCPD is my federal agent cover, since while my dad knows I work for the government, he doesn't know that it's Argus, since technically, Argus doesn't exist." Sara said, since her father knew that she worked in law enforcement on a federal level, something he was very proud of, he didn't know that she worked for an organization that technically didn't exist.

"Let me check." Alex said as she accessed her records and she smiled when she found something.

"Yep, apparently since local authorities have proven in the past to be relatively inefficient to dealing with him, mostly due to corruption, Church's case has been handled to the FBI, which just so happens to be the organization you have a cover with." Alex said.

"Thank you." Sara said as she kissed her.

"Oh Sara, one more thing." Alex said.

"Yeah?" Sara asked.

"Don't forget we have a date tonight at that hotel." Alex said.

"Yeah, still trying to figure out why you insisted on having it at a hotel bar." Sara said.

"You'll see." Alex said with a smile as Sara walked out of her office.

* * *

"Sara, what are you doing here?" Quentin asked in surprise as he saw his younger daughter enter the precinct.

"Here to inform you that I'll be helping out with your case against Tobias Church." Sara said.

"How do you know about that?" Quentin asked.

"You do remember that I work for the FBI right? Since Church has essentially taken over the criminal underworlds of 4 other cities with the cops there proving to be ineffective, he's upgraded to a federal case." Sara said as she held out a warrant for her father to examine.

"Okay then, guess we're partners on this." Quentin said.

"Guess so. Now, what do you know about the victims?" Sara asked.

"A dealer, his girlfriend, 2 los Halcones and one of ours. Keating." Quentin said.

"Sounds like this police force has the same problem as the ones in every other city Church has taken over." Sara said.

"Yeah, hopefully your sister will be elected mayor and then she'll give me clearance to do what I need to route out who's bad." Quentin said.

"Hopefully." Sara said, though she already knew that one of Laurel's plans was to re evaluate every member of the police force.

"How's her campaign going by the way?" Quentin asked.

"You know, you could ask her yourself." Sara said with a smile.

"Okay, okay." Quentin said as Sara began going through more of the evidence.

* * *

"Hey sis, you might want to add get a new police force to your campaign promises." Sara said as she entered the lair.

"Really, why?" Laurel asked.

"Because it sounds like the SCPD might have a serious corruption problem on its hands." Sara said.

"What makes you say that?" Oliver asked, though he already knew.

"The cop found at the scene, Keating, he wasn't supposed to be there. Dad thinks that he was there trying to steal the contraband for himself." Sara said.

"He must've had back up. We find out who else was there that night and we can track them from there." Oliver said and Sara nodded.

"My dad thought along similar lines. He's working on that as we speak." Sara said.

"I'm honestly surprised your dad hasn't been made a captain yet, since he's probably one of the best cops on the force." Oliver said.

"Dad said he prefers being a detective. It lets him actually feel like he's doing some good." Laurel said and Oliver nodded, since he could understand that.

* * *

Tobias Church was currently planning his next move on taking the city, when suddenly, he felt the temperature drop.

"What's going on. The heater busted?" Church asked as suddenly, a strange man walked up to him.

"Hello Tobias." the white haired man as he approached them.

"What do you want?" Church asked.

"Simply to help you, as we have a common goal." the man said in a strange and distorted voice.

"And that is?" Church asked.

"Taking out the Green Arrow." the man said.

"And why do you want him dead?" Church asked.

"That's my business, but I will say that his frosty companion, Frostbite I believe she calls herself, I have business with her. But I need the Green Arrow out of the way before I can make a move." the man said.

"So, you help me take out the Green Arrow and I give you the girl?" Church asked, trying to make sure he understood.

"Sound reasonable?" the man asked.

"Yeah, but I got one question for you." Church said.

"And that is?" the man said.

"What do I call you?" Church asked and the man grinned.

"Call me, the Icicle." Icicle said with a mad grin on his face.

* * *

 **The Icicle has returned and he is free. I'll explain how he's free soon, since that will tie into a later part of the story. Anyways, hope you liked the twist.**


	56. Chapter 56

Oliver was currently checking out his mom's storage unit in Orchid Bay, since with things running cold on the Church investigation, he needed to something to keep him busy, so going through his mother's past seemed like a good idea.

He smiled when he pulled out an old drawing he'd down when he was a kid. Man had he hated Thea when she was first born. Of course now he couldn't imagine his life without his little sister in it, but still, he couldn't believe how far they'd all come over the years and he wasn't just thinking about the years of this reality. In the past months since the reality change, he felt as though maybe he'd finally started to become the hero everyone else had started to see him as. Not as a masked avenger hiding in the shadows, but as the beacon of light Star City needed.

Anyways, Oliver's attention was drawn to an envelope addressed to Walter Steele in one of the boxes that read in his father's handwriting, _in the event of my death_.

Oliver took the letter out and after a moment of wondering what was inside it and whether or not he should open it, he tore the envelope open and grew horrified and disgusted by what the letter contained as he shoved the letter into his pocket before walking out, since right now, he wasn't sure what to do about what the letter said.

* * *

"Hey, you okay?" Laurel asked her boyfriend when she saw him enter their penthouse.

"No, not in the slightest." Oliver said.

"So I'm guessing that it wasn't a very successful trip to your mom's secret storage unit?" Laurel asked.

"The opposite actually." Oliver said as he pulled out the letter.

"What's that?" Laurel asked.

"It's a letter from my dad to Walter Steele. I'm assuming he never got it." Oliver said.

"So you opened it?" Laurel asked.

"I'm glad I did. Because now I know one of my father's worst sins." Oliver said and that got Laurel's attention.

"What does it say?" Laurel asked as Oliver unfolded the letter and began to read it aloud.

"Dear Walter, as you know, I haven't always made the best choices, and if you're reading this letter, it means I'm gone. I need your help to right one last wrong. There's a woman Kazumi Adachi. I loved her. We had a daughter. And I treated them both unfairly. I abandoned them. I'm not proud of what I did, but I'm trying to make it right. You're the only one I trust with this. Please take care of Emiko." Oliver said as Laurel took this in.

"So, you have another sister." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"Yeah I mean, I thought that I'd come to terms with the man my father really was, but this, I knew that he had affairs, but this is more than that, he had a secret family. He had another he loved, a child he wanted taken care of, which clearly never happened." Oliver said.

"I can't believe that Walter wouldn't support Emiko and her mother." Laurel said.

"The only explanation is that he never knew. Someone must've intercepted the letter before it reached him." Oliver said.

"We both know who it was. Your mother." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"She and my father ruined Emiko's life. And I don't even know how to begin to justify that." Oliver said.

"Well, maybe first you should tell Walter about this. He has a right to know about this to and also, you need to confront your mother about this. It seems like she not only knew about your father's affair and his other daughter, she went to great lengths to make sure no one else did. Like she was trying to make Emiko and her mother disappear from existence. But most importantly Oliver, I think you need to reach out to her." Laurel said.

"Not yet. I just found out about her, I want to know why she was not taken care of before I force my way into her life. And honestly, I still think I should give her a choice about whether or not she wants me to be a part of her life." Oliver said.

"So get some answers from your mom and while you do that, I'll see if Winn can track Emiko down. Then you can let her know that you know about her and also give her a choice about whether or not she wants to meet." Laurel said.

"I don't know Laurel. My father abandoned her and her mother. She's got no reason to forgive me for that." Oliver said.

"You didn't do that to her." Laurel said.

"No but I am doing it to William. I know I pay child support now, but he's growing up without his father. And I realize that was my choice, but still, it makes me wonder if I'm really as different from my father as I thought." Oliver said.

"You are ten times the man your father was. The fact that you've devoted your life to not only cleaning up this city, but also righting your family's wrongs proves that." Laurel said.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Oliver asked.

"Because I never would've fallen in love with you in the first place if I didn't think there is good in you. You are not your father or your mother. You are not defined by their sins. You are your own man. And a damn good one. Maybe it's time you stop blaming yourself for your father's choices, including the choice he made to save your life." Laurel said.

"Except it wasn't just his own life that he took to save me." Oliver said, realizing that was another sin he needed to make right.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"A third person made it to the life raft. My father's bodyguard, Dave Hackett, he made it to. My father shot Hackett and then shot himself." Oliver said.

"Wow, I didn't know that." Laurel said.

"No one did. Including Hackett's son Sam." Oliver said.

"Oliver you need to come clean with Sam about this. He deserves to know, to finally get closure." Laurel said.

"I know. But first I need to track him down." Oliver said.

"And then what are you going to do about Emiko?" Laurel asked.

"First I'm going to get answers about why we never knew about her and then I'm going to do what my family should've done a long time ago. Offer her a place in it." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as she smiled at her boyfriend proudly.


	57. Chapter 57

"Oliver, why did you want to see us?" Walter asked as Oliver sat down in the parlor of the Queen Mansion across from him and Moira.

"This letter from my father to you Walter. I found it while I was checking out an old storage unit in Orchid Bay to see if there were any other skeletons in the closet buried there. Imagine my shock when I found this." Oliver said as he handed Walter the letter and he could see Walter's eyes widen as he read it.

"I had no idea. I mean, I knew Robert was never the most loyal husband, but I never knew that he had another child. I would've made sure she was taken care of." Walter said and neither he or Oliver missed the nervous way Moira looked.

"Moira, did you know about this?" Walter asked.

"Yes." Moira sighed, knowing that she was caught.

"Why didn't you tell us this? Why did you go to the lengths you did to keep us from finding this out." Oliver said.

"Because I didn't want you to know about your father's flagrant affairs. Until that point, it was easy for him to cover up his misdeeds, but a child, that couldn't be overlooked." Moira said.

"Mom, that's not the whole story." Oliver said.

"I was furious when I found out that not only was Robert having a continuous affair, but he'd basically started a second family and I could tell he loved this woman. So I confronted him about it." Moira said.

"And what ultimatum did you offer him?" Oliver asked.

"Either cut off all communication with his floozy or I'd divorce and sue him for everything he had." Moira said and both Oliver and Walter looked horrified by that.

"So you were so jealous you ruined both this woman and her daughter's life?" Oliver said in disbelief.

"I was trying to keep my family together." Moira said weakly, but Oliver shook his head in disgust.

"No, you did this because you wanted to make the world believe that we were this perfect little family, but in reality, all this family is built on is secrets and lies. We had a right to know, especially since you weren't exactly in a role to judge." Oliver said, reminding his mother of her own affair.

"It was finding out about Emiko and her mother that drove me to my affair." Moira said.

"That's your argument for abandoning them?" Oliver said angrily.

"Oliver, I know you're angry." Moira said.

"No, mom, I was angry when I found out about your affair. I was angry when I found out about the Queen's Gambit. Now I am furious and disappointed." Oliver said angrily as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Walter asked, still trying to comprehend what he'd just learned about his wife.

"To try and make things right with Emiko. Offer a chance she never got. A chance to be a part of a family." Oliver said as he stormed out.

* * *

Later that day, Moira was left alone at the mansion, since Thea was off with her boyfriend and like her son, Walter was to ashamed of what she'd done to Emiko and she couldn't exactly blame them.

The more she thought about what she'd done to Emiko, the more guilty she felt. She should've at least let Robert pay child support. But before she could think anymore about that, she shivered and she began to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with the mansion's heater.

"Hello Moira." A strange, yet somewhat familiar voice said behind her and Moira turned to see someone she had thought was dead.

"Thomas, what are you doing here?" Moira asked, shocked at seeing the father of her daughter alive and well, though a bit frostier than she remembered.

"Settling scores." Thomas said as Moira began backing up from him, clearly terrified.

"I never did anything to you but try and help you. I funded your research." Moira said.

"And you hid my daughter from me." Thomas said.

"How do you know about her?" Moira asked.

"I'm a genius remember. You should've known you could keep her from me forever." Thomas said.

"I thought you were dead. I wasn't keeping anything from you because I didn't know you were alive." Moira said truthfully, her terror growing by the minute, since Thomas was clearly unhinged.

"Liar." Thomas shouted as, to Moira's surprise, he ice blasted her across the room.

"Please, I'll do anything, just don't hurt me." Moira cowered.

"Don't worry Moira. I'm not going to kill you. But you will make excellent bait." Thomas said as he breathed an icy fog and Moira began finding it hard to breathe as she blacked out.

"Phase one complete." Thomas said as he lugged Moira over his shoulder and made his exit.


	58. Chapter 58

To say Oliver's emotions towards his mother had flipped in the past 12 hours would be an understatement. When he'd left the mansion this morning, he'd been disgusted and furious with her. But ever since he gotten the phone call from Walter saying that his mother had been kidnapped, now all he felt was fear and concern about losing his mom all over again. He'd barely managed to get past Slade killing his mom, but now if he lost her again, this time with her thinking he hated her, he'd never forgive himself.

That was why he currently found himself standing in the mansion with his sister and stepfather, along with Detectives Lance and Hilton.

"How did the kidnapper even get in. I thought this place had one of the most advanced and expensive security systems in the city." Thea said.

"She's right. Alarm sensors on every door and window, surveillance cameras, security patrols, it doesn't seem possible that someone was able to get through this undetected." Oliver said, knowing the mansion's security protocols too well, not only from his time as a vigilante, but considering how many times the cameras had busted him, usually with Laurel or Tommy, sneaking either in or out after curfew.

"Whoever did this was a pro and they've obviously been planning for awhile, since they managed to always be in the blind spots of the cameras and it was like they knew all the alarm codes and the guards schedule." Quentin said.

"Suggesting it might've been an inside job. No one but us and the security company we hired for the mansion's security could know all the information." Oliver said.

"Just to be safe, go through the list of people who know any of the information needed to pull this off." Hilton said.

"Me, Walter, Thea, mom, Laurel." Oliver said.

"Wait, Laurel?" Quentin asked.

"You're forgetting how much she spent here even before we were dating. My parents told her the codes because they trusted her and after we started dating, we spent a lot of time looking for blind spots in the cameras and I think that's all you want to hear." Oliver said and Quentin nodded.

"Also, Tommy, but he's out of the country last I heard." Thea said and Oliver nodded.

"And the security company." Oliver said.

"Actually, my boyfriend Roy knows the alarm codes to, but he'd never help anyone, since abducting my mother is a breakup move." Thea said.

"Okay thank you." Quentin said.

"You'll find her right?" Thea asked.

"We'll do our best." Quentin said as Walter showed him and the other cops out.

"We're not just gonna let the police handle this are we. I mean, I'm mad at mom for what she did to our sister to, but still." Thea said said, since Oliver had told the rest of the team about Emiko shortly before they'd gotten the call that their mother was missing.

"Absolutely. Mom may have made mistakes, but she doesn't deserve to die." Oliver said.

"Maybe we should go over the security footage again. See if there's anything the police missed." Thea said.

"Already texted Winn to do just that. This one's personal. Besides, I have a feeling it's somehow connected to our latest problem." Oliver said.

"Why would Church come after us through mom. He has no idea who we are." Thea said.

"Doesn't matter. Something tells me that this kidnapping is somehow related to him and figuring that out is just as important as finding mom, since we need to know if our identities are compromised, since if they are, that'll just put not only mom, but also Walter and anyone else we care about at risk." Oliver said and Thea nodded.

* * *

"Any luck?" Laurel asked Oliver when he and Thea entered the base.

"No, apparently the kidnapper managed to stay in the camera's blind spots." Oliver said.

"I didn't realize there were enough of those. After all, we both know how tight the security is on the mansion." Laurel said.

"Actually, I did a little tampering." Winn said.

"What, why?" Thea asked angrily.

"Here's what the actual footage was." Winn said as he played it for them.

"That would've not only revealed Thea's true parentage, but also possibly out her as Frostbite." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"So I hacked the footage and modified it so that while the police could still get intel from it, it wouldn't give away anything that compromises our operations." Winn said.

"So apparently my birth father is still alive and it looks like he has the same powers as me." Thea said.

"And he also knows about you, which means that he probably knows that you're Frostbite. Guess I was wrong about Church being involved in this." Oliver said.

"Still, we need to find him and Moira quickly." Laurel said.

"I'm already on it." Winn said as he pulled up an algorithm.

"What's that?" Thea asked.

"It's algorithm I wrote to track your UV cold signature, since your powers give a unique reading and if your father has the same powers as you." Winn said.

"We should be able to track him the same way. Nice." Oliver said.

"Yep. I should get a location back quickly, assuming that his signature isn't shielded." Winn said.

"Let us know when you get a hit." Thea said and Winn nodded.


	59. Chapter 59

**Okay, little side note, the Arrow episode Emerald Archer is probably my favorite episode of the season yet, since it has officially restored my faith in the show, since spoiler alert, Team Arrow is officially back in business baby. And now onto the story.**

* * *

"Guys, I got a lock on Thomas's cold signature." Winn said.

"Where is he?" Oliver asked.

"I looks like he's at an airfield in Pennytown. Halpin Brace Airfield." Winn said and Oliver nearly cursed since if that wasn't confirmation that Snow was working with Church, he didn't know what was.

"Can you pull up satellite imaging of the area. Thomas's powers will give him enough of an edge, I want to know if we have any other surprises to look forward to." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"It looks like Snow has a partner." Winn said as he zoomed in.

"Tobias Church. It looks like you were right." Thea said to her brother.

"You think Thomas took Moira because he knows who Thea is?" Laurel asked.

"I don't know, but I have my suspicions. If he does, there's chance he knows who all of us are, which doubles the need to get him before he tells Church or anyone else." Oliver said.

"Sara is going to be sorry she missed this." Roy said.

"Sounded like Alex made this trip to Central City non optional. Apparently it's some sort of family get together for the Danvers, though Sara didn't seem to protest too much." Laurel said.

"Sounds like Alex has Sara wrapped around her finger." Thea said.

"She does." Laurel confirmed.

"Enough. Suit up and move out. Every second we waste puts mom in more danger." Oliver said.

"Wait, should we reach out to Lyla. Last time I checked, metas fell into Argus's purview and if we're going up against that and Church's army, it would be nice to have one of our own." Roy said.

"I'll call Lyla. You guys get there." Winn said.

"Good." Oliver said as they all moved to suit up.

* * *

Moira was currently tied up and gagged in a chair in a hangar on the airfield, completely terrified as she watched Thomas talk to Church.

"Still don't understand why you kidnapped her." Church said.

"You want the Green Arrow, you need bait and nothing like a rich old lady will bring him running." Icicle said.

"How do you know he'll come for her or that we even have her?" Church asked, right as an arrow hit the ground, exploding, sending them flying back.

"They know." Icicle said as the smoke cleared and sure enough, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Arsenal and Frostbite were standing there.

"Argus is on the way, hold the fort until they get there." Winn said over the comms.

"Copy that. Canary, Arsenal, deal with the troops, Frostbite, think you can handle snow?" Green Arrow asked.

"It will be my genuine pleasure." Frostbite said since she'd always wanted to kick her father's ass and now she had a chance to.

"What are you going to do?" Arsenal asked.

"I'm gonna get Mrs. Queen to safety. I'll join you after." Green Arrow said and they nodded as they moved out.

"Not so fast." Church said as he got in Green Arrow's way towards Moira.

"Get out of my way Church. This will be your only warning." Green Arrow growled as he aimed an arrow at Church, fully intending to kill him if necessary. He would not let his mother die again because he hesitated to save her.

"Only to get to her is through me." Church said as he bashed his bronze knuckles together.

"As you wish. But don't say I didn't warn you." Green Arrow said as he let his arrow fly, but Church managed to dodge last minute before charging at him.

* * *

Frostbite was currently facing Icicle.

"So, you're Frostbite. I have been waiting to meet you for a long time." Icicle said.

"And what should I call you. I'm guessing that Thomas doesn't have that villainous flair I'm sure you'd like." Frostbite asked.

"Call me, the Icicle. Here's a clue why." Icicle said as he ice blasted her, only for Frostbite to intercept it with her own ice blast.

"Impressive. But do you really think you can beat me?" Icicle asked, right as his daughter ducked down and ice blasted the ground so he lost his footing before using the ice to move at almost flash speeds and then encased her fist in a larger icy fist, which she then used to punch her own father in the gut.

"Yes, yes I do." Frostbite said.

"Not bad." Icicle said as she held him down by ice blasting him.

"Why did you kidnap Moira Queen?" Frostbite demanded.

"Because she kept you from me." Icicle said, much to Frostbite's shock.

"Yes, i know who you are. Where do you think your powers came from?" Icicle said.

"She was trying to protect me from you and your insanity." Frostbite said.

"She lied to me, told me you were his child and cut me out of your life." Icicle said.

"And I'm better off because of that. But why work with Church?" Frostbite asked as she continued ice blasting him.

"Mutually beneficial. We both need your brother out of the way to get what we want, since yes, I know who the Green Arrow is. Church wants the city and I want you. Both of which can only be achieved by eliminating him and Moira Queen was the perfect bait to draw him out." Icicle said.

"Yeah well, something tells me you should've brought more backup." Frostbite said as Arsenal and Black Canary joined them.

"Green Arrow's on Church and his army is unconscious. Argus reinforcements just arrived." Arsenal said.

"We'll finish this later." Icicle said, since he knew a lost cause when he saw one and to Frostbite's surprise, he actually flew away.

"He can fly. I wonder if I can fly to." Frostbite wondered.


	60. Chapter 60

The fight between Green Arrow and Church did not last long, since it was quickly made clear who the superior fighter was.

"You're done Church. You made a mistake in trying to come to my city. This is my town and you will never get it." Green Arrow declared.

"It's funny you think that. I always get what I want." Church said.

"Then I hope what you want is a life sentence in Iron Heights, because that is exactly what you're going to get." Green Arrow said as he pulled out an arrow and after performing a few very impressive maneuvers, he sliced very specific locations on Church's limbs, causing him to howl in pain.

"What did you do me?" Church asked as he suddenly found himself unable to move his limbs.

"I sliced your tendons. You can't do much without those." Green Arrow said as he finally rushed over to where his mother was still being held.

"You're safe now ma'am." Green Arrow said as Moira looked at him right in the face and he could she recognized him, despite his mask and hood, but she didn't say anything as they heard sirens.

"The cops are arriving. Argus has already cleared the scene." Frostbite said and Oliver could tell that Moira recognized her to.

"Then so are we." Green Arrow said as he cut Moira free before he and his team got gone at the same time Quentin and the SCPD arrived.

"Mrs. Queen. Are you okay?" Quentin asked as he helped Moira up.

"I'll be fine. Just a little shaken up." Moira said, though it wasn't just the kidnapping she was shaken up by. She was beginning to realize just how little she really knew about her children anymore.

* * *

"And you're sure that mom recognized you?" Thea asked Moira after Oliver told them what happened at the lair.

"Positive. The way she looked at me, I could tell that despite my mask and hood, she recognized me and Thea, I'm willing to bet she recognized you to." Oliver said.

"Well then you two need to go do some damage control before we all end up in jeopardy." Laurel said and Oliver and Thea nodded as they headed out to get to their mother before she decided to reveal their identities to the world, since Oliver had already been outed once and considering the toll he'd seen that take on his family before, he had no desire for it to happen again.

* * *

Moira was not at all surprised when she was finally allowed to return home to find her children waiting for her, though not for the reason anyone was expecting.

"Walter, can you give us a few minutes alone please?" Moira asked her husband, who nodded as he left the three Queens on their own.

"So, when were you two planning on telling me that you were vigilantes?" Moira asked, deciding to just come out and make it clear that she knew.

"Not really sure. Honestly, I never even intended for Thea to get involved in this life either." Oliver said.

"Well, I think you both owe me an explanation." Moira said.

"I'm not really sure with where to start." Oliver said.

"Maybe you could start with why?" Moira asked.

"Because dad asked me to right his wrongs before he died." Oliver said.

"I thought that dad died on the Gambit?" Thea asked, since Oliver had never told her this tidbit either.

"When the Gambit went down, I dived in after Sara, to try and save her. Dad made it to a life raft with Hackett and he pulled me into it. When it became clear that there wasn't enough food or water for all of us to survive, dad pulled out a gun, shot Hackett and then told me to survive and right his wrongs before turning the gun on himself and he killed himself." Oliver said.

"Robert died to save you?" Moira asked.

"Yeah. Dad was a complicated man, I probably know that better than anyone, but he died to give me a chance to survive." Oliver said.

"And his bodyguard, Dave Hackett died to?" Moira asked.

"Yeah. I still need to tell Sam about that." Oliver said.

"Does anyone else know?" Thea asked.

"Laurel does. She's the only person I've truly been able to confide since I came home." Oliver said.

"So she knows then." Moira said.

"She does. And so do Roy and Sara." Thea said.

"Did Mr. Diggle know?" Moira asked.

"He did. He was a part of our team before he got a better job offer he couldn't refuse." Oliver said, though he did wonder if John was okay, since they hadn't exactly been in touch since he'd left to become a Green Lantern.

"Is there anyone else who knew before me?" Moira asked.

"Sara's girlfriend Alex knows and so does a new friend of ours, Winn Schott, who's become our tech hub." Oliver said.

"Okay then. Now, my next question is why the hell would you let your little sister get involved in this?" Moira demanded.

"Thea didn't find out until we rescued her and Roy from the savior, since that's when her powers surfaced. We brought her in so we could help her learn to control it." Oliver said.

"And tonight I found out where my powers came from." Thea said.

"Thomas." Moira said and Thea nodded.

"He knows who we are to and he told me that he's the reason I got my powers. Not sure how exactly, but I know I need to find out, since something tells me that it wasn't really him who attacked us. The way he spoke, it wasn't like when I go frosty. It was like I was talking to someone else entirely." Thea said, since honestly, all Frostbite is to her is a nickname. Nothing more or less.

"Maybe it's a side effect of whatever treatment he used to cure himself." Oliver suggested.

"Maybe. But mom, now I think we need to ask you something." Thea said.

"Will I turn you in?" Moira asked.

"Well will you?" Oliver asked.

"No. Honestly, I don't think a mother could be as proud of her children as I am now of you two. My children are heroes. It makes me think that despite all the mistakes I made, I did something right." Moira said as her children hugged her and they continued talking.


	61. Chapter 61

"So Ollie, have you made any plans for your's and Laurel's one year anniversary? You didn't forget again did you?" Thea asked, since it had been a year since Laurel had taken Oliver back, something he still couldn't believe she'd done, though he was incredibly grateful she had.

"No I did not forget Thea and if Laurel put you up to this to try and find out what plans I made for tomorrow or what I got her for our anniversary, you can forget it. No one finds out until she gets it tomorrow." Oliver said with a knowing smile.

"Come on, you know Laurel hates surprises. Can't blame her for trying to find out what you're planning ahead of time. Besides, she also asked me to ask you that to make sure you didn't forget again, but she didn't want it to seem like she didn't believe in you." Thea said and Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Well you can tell her that if she has such a problem with it, then I can always cancel them." Oliver said.

"Like you'd dare." Thea said.

"There's a reason I'm doing the prep here instead of at the penthouse. I have something very special planned for the occasion and I don't want it to be ruined by her snooping." Oliver said.

"Does something special involve a certain kind of jewelry that's normally given with a question and after you talk to her father?" Thea asked.

"That's none of your business." Oliver said, which was all the answer Thea needed.

"I promise my lips are sealed and not just because I'm afraid of what you'd do to me if I ruined the secret, especially since I'm pretty sure mom wouldn't protect me from it." Thea said.

"Trust that feeling Thea. I've waited a long time for your brother to do this and I do not want it ruined." Moira said as she joined them.

"Wait, you told mom?" Thea asked.

"Yes, because for one thing, I needed her help to make all the arrangements and for another, if there's anything I've taken from our recent findings it's that mom knows how to keep a secret." Oliver said and Moira nodded.

"Though for once, this isn't a bad secret." Moira said and Oliver nodded.

"It's just something I'd like to keep from Laurel until the time is right." Oliver said.

"Can I at least tell the others?" Thea asked.

"No and Thea I'm serious, not a word to anyone about this or else you will be sorry." Oliver said and Thea sighed.

"Okay, got it, message received." Thea said, honestly scared to blab.

* * *

"So, did Ollie tell you anything?" Laurel asked when she answered her phone to Thea calling.

"All he said was that he didn't forget. No further details. He's really going out of his way to surprise you this time. And why won't you just let him." Thea asked.

"Old habits I guess." Laurel said, since she honestly did feel a bit bad about always trying to ruin Oliver's attempts to surprise her. That might be why he eventually stopped doing it for awhile.

"Still, I think that the surprise is one of best parts about romance. I mean, you and Ollie are already a bit of an untraditional couple, though you are one of the biggest power couples in the city, might I add, the heir of Queen Consolidated, no matter how much he doesn't want it, and the future mayor of Star City, I say let there be a bit of surprise in your relationship." Thea said.

"That's something to think about alright. I gotta go. Alex is coming into my office and he's got his war face on." Laurel said as she hung up.

"We have a problem." Alex said as he entered her office.

"Can you please knock before you enter my office for once." Laurel said.

"Very funny. I'm serious Laurel. You are no longer running unopposed." Alex said.

"What?" Laurel asked, giving him her full attention.

"Three other people just threw their hands into the ring." Alex said.

"Who?" Laurel asked.

"Sebastian Blood, Emily Pollard and Ruve Adams." Alex said.


	62. Chapter 62

"So wait now instead of running unopposed, you've got three opponents?" Thea asked after Laurel had told the team.

"Yep, Blood and Pollard I've heard of. Blood's an alderman in the Glades and Pollard's a member of the city council." Laurel said.

"Who is incredibly anti vigilante might I add." Roy said.

"Yeah, but I've never heard of Ruve Adams." Laurel said.

"Guys, we have another problem." Sara said as she joined them.

"Great, what now?" Oliver asked.

"I've been keeping tabs on known League safe houses and assets in the city. One of them just became active." Sara said.

"Wait, the League of Assassins is in the city?" Oliver asked, though he'd been expecting this ever since he heard that Ruve Adams had come onto the scene, since that could only mean one thing.

"Yep. I haven't made contact with them yet because I thought it might be a good idea to have some backup." Sara said.

"You and I will go investigate this, since we're the only ones here with any experience with the League. If they're in my city I want to know why." Oliver said and Sara nodded as they moved to suit up.

* * *

"You sure this is the place?" Green Arrow asked White Canary as they arrived at the safehouse.

"Positive." White Canary said.

"Okay then, let's go get some answers." Green Arrow said as he fired an arrow towards the building, creating a cable for them to zip across, crashing right through the window to see about a dozen League members of waiting for them.

"Huh, only 12 guys." Green Arrow said.

"Yeah, they should've brought more." White Canary said.

"There is no need for that." a familiar voice said and much to their shock, Ra's al Ghul walked out from behind his men.

"Ra's al Ghul. What brings you all the way out to Star City?" White Canary asked, trying to place peacemaker, since Green Arrow didn't seem anymore eager to lower his weapon. If anything, he looked like one wrong move and he'd let his arrow fly.

"Not to wage war with you Oliver Queen." Ra's assured them.

"You'll understand if I don't just take your word for it. Why are you in my city?" Green Arrow demanded as Ra's raised his hand for his warriors to stand down.

"An enemy of the League has entered this city." Ra's said.

"So, why come here yourself? I thought this was the sort of thing you sent enforcers to do?" Oliver asked asked, though he had an idea.

"Normally I would, but this is a special case. The enemy is Damien Darhk." Ra's said.

"Your greatest enemy." White Canary realized as Green Arrow finally lowered his bow as Ra's nodded.

"Indeed. My sources confirmed that Damien entered the city a few weeks ago. We've been in the city just as long and have been trying to gather information." Ra's said.

"You could've reached out. If this Darhk guy is your enemy, he must be dangerous, which means this is situation where the enemy of my enemy is my ally. You may have numbers, but we have a resource you don't." Oliver said, since he'd take all the help he could get with Darhk.

"And what might that be?" Ra's asked.

"Knowledge of this city. My team and I know this city like the back of our hands. You don't. We can help each other." Oliver said.

"I was hoping you'd come to this conclusion, however, I thought it best to let you come to me, to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed." Ra's said.

"We'll help you on one condition." Oliver said.

"And that is?" Ra's asked.

"Once Darhk and his followers are dealt with, you'll leave Star City alone." Oliver said.

"Agreed. Trust that I do not wish conflict with you Oliver Queen. If anything, a man of your talents would make a fine addition to the League." Ra's said.

"I appreciate the offer, but I've got too much to live for here." Oliver said.

"Very well. I assume that we will not face resistance from you?" Ra's asked.

"As long as innocent people don't get caught in your crossfire, fine." Oliver said as he and Sara took their leave.


	63. Chapter 63

**Shocking twist in the latest episode of Arrow. Blackstarr being Oliver and Felicity's daughter, I guess those theories were correct online. Also, while I'm sad to see Curtis go, I'm honestly not surprised, his role in the show was becoming significantly lessened throughout this season, just like Thea's was last season, so I figured that like Thea, Curtis's role on the show was coming to an end. I'll probably end up using Mia, just not as Felicity's daughter. Take a guess on who's daughter she will be if I bring her in.**

* * *

"So we're working with the League of Assassins now?" Roy asked after Oliver and Sara told them what they'd learned.

"Guys, if even half of what Nyssa and Ra's told me is true, Darhk maybe the most dangerous thing we've ever faced. We need all the help we can get to stop him." Sara said.

"Maybe more than that." Oliver said as he got off the phone with someone.

"Why?" Laurel asked.

"I just got off the phone with old acquaintance of mine from before I came home. John Constantine. If you guys thought the world was weird with metas, you have no idea until you meet this guy." Oliver said.

"Why what's his deal?" Thea asked.

"Magic." Oliver said bluntly.

"You're kidding right. Magic isn't real." Roy said.

"We used to say that about aliens and than at least two of them showed up, both of them wearing bright red and blue. Trust me, I've seen more than enough to make me a believer." Oliver said.

"Do we even want to know?" Thea asked.

"No. But the point is apparently Darhk is a very powerful mystic who has the ability to literally drain life out of people." Oliver said.

"Okay so, former league member with magic. How do we fight that?" Laurel asked.

"We don't. I do." Oliver said.

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked.

"When I first met Constantine, he gave me this magical tattoo. He told me over the phone that I can use it to channel a way to defend against Darhk's magic and he's already gotten me in touch with someone who can teach me how to do it." Oliver said, even though he already knew how to do it.

"So, are these lessons taking place here?" Laurel asked.

"No. Hub City. I'll be gone for a few days hopefully, the rest of you, keep an eye on the League and focus on finding Darhk. I don't trust Ra's to keep his promise to keep civilians out of danger if he finds Darhk before we do." Oliver said

"Still, I'm sure these lessons can hold off a day, considering I believe you promised me an anniversary." Laurel reminded him.

"Actually, why don't you come with me to Hub City. We can have our anniversary there." Oliver said.

"Huh, that sounds even better, since I get a real trip for our anniversary away from our suits." Laurel said.

"Okay then, it's settled. Laurel and I will go to Hub City tomorrow and the rest of you try and hold the fort here and make sure the league doesn't create a massacre. Sara's leader while we're gone." Oliver said as they all began to move apart, but Thea grabbed her brother's arm real quickly.

"Hey, what about your big plans with Laurel for your anniversary?" Thea asked.

"Why do you think I invited her to come with me Speedy." Oliver said with a smile.

"Huh romantic getaway slash magic quest. You still find ways to keep your relationships interesting Ollie." Thea said and Oliver chuckled.

"I try." Oliver said

* * *

The following day, Oliver and Laurel arrived at their hotel in Hub City and Oliver couldn't help but notice the look on Laurel's face.

"Not that I'm complaining about seeing you so happy, but with the smile on your face?" Oliver asked.

"For the first time in a long time I actually almost feel like we're a normal couple. Just two people taking a romantic vacation together instead of seeking out magic lessons. Still can't believe magic is real and I'm a metahuman." Laurel said.

"Trust me, you wouldn't believe the things I've had to wrap my head around over the years. Magic is just the tip of the iceberg." Oliver said, since he's seen super soldiers, metahumans, magic, ressurrections, aliens, other earths, different realities, he's still trying to figure out how his life got so weird.

"I don't think I want to know." Laurel said.

"Trust me, you don't. For your own peace of mind." Oliver said as Laurel walked up to him.

"I still don't understand how you're able to sleep at night with everything you've gone through." Laurel said and Oliver's answer was instantaneous.

"Because you're lying there next to me." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as they kissed.

"Now, we have dinner reservations to get ready for." Oliver said and Laurel smiled, though she had no idea what surprise Oliver had planned for her tonight.


	64. Chapter 64

Since Oliver had even taken the liberty of packing for her before they left Star City, Laurel had no idea what he had planned for their anniversary tonight. He really was going all out to keep it a surprise from her, but this was one of those secrets that she didn't mind him keeping. After all, this wasn't really a secret, as much as it was a surprise.

So when she opened her suitcase, she was surprised to find that Oliver had packed one of her nicest dresses. It was a full length black dress had a lacy top that went down to her mid chest before turning to a solid black the rest of the way down **(It's the same dress she wore to gala in season 4, episode 7, since she always looked very good in that dress in my opinion.)**.

Laurel smiled as she took the dress and a few other choice items from her suitcase into the bathroom so she could shower and get ready for tonight, since Oliver had already showered and changed into a very nice suit and left the room to let her get ready, though he still refused to tell her anything about what he was planning for tonight.

* * *

Oliver was sitting in the hotel lobby, checking his watch every few minutes as he waited for Laurel to come down from their room.

"You waiting for someone?" He heard her voice said and Oliver smiled as he looked up and his jaw nearly dropped at the sight of Laurel, since even though he'd seen her in that dress before, she still took his breath away, since this time when she wore it, he was actually paying attention to her, something he wished he'd been doing from the beginning.

"Yeah, and it looks like it was well worth the wait." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as he got up and kissed her.

"So, are you finally going to tell me what we're doing for our anniversary?" Laurel asked as Oliver led her outside.

"See for yourself." Oliver said as he gestured to a horse bound carriage waiting outside the hotel.

"You're taking me on a carriage ride?" Laurel said eagerly, since it seemed like this year Oliver was going all out on the romance.

"For starters." Oliver said as he helped her into the carriage and smiled as he nodded to the driver to take them off and he was thankful that he was once again rich enough to afford all this.

"So, was this your plan back in Star City?" Laurel asked.

"Actually I was just planning on taking you out to our favorite restaurant for a romantic dinner, but when I decided to invite you to come with me to Hub City, this idea just seemed a lot more romantic." Oliver said.

"Well then, I'm glad I decided to along then, since you're right, this is much more romantic." Laurel agreed as she laid her head down on Oliver's shoulder and he smiled as his hand reached inside his pocket as he thought about what he was going to do once they were in the proper setting.

* * *

"Why are we stopping here?" Laurel asked as the carriage came to a stop in the middle of a park.

"Because this is where the ride ends." Oliver said.

"Wait, so you brought us all the way out here just to make me walk back to the hotel in heels. Way to kill the mood Ollie." Laurel said and Oliver chuckled.

"Who said this was the only plan I made for tonight." Oliver said with a smile as he directed her attention over to the hot air balloon that had just finished being blown up for them.

"Wait, so now you're taking me for a hot air balloon ride?" Laurel asked, though now she was wondering if she was imagining this, considering how romantic it was getting.

"Yep, I figured the best place to make sure this date isn't interrupted is with a romantic trip in the sky." Oliver said as he helped Laurel out of the carriage and after paying the driver, he led her over to where the balloon was waiting.

"Do you know how to fly one of these things?" Laurel asked.

"I learned just for this." Oliver said, since he'd actually been planning the balloon ride for months, he'd just simply had the company move it from Star City to Hub City.

"Seriously?" Laurel asked.

"I've actually been planning the balloon thing for months. I just needed to make a quick change yesterday to have them inflate the balloon in Hub City instead of back home." Oliver explained and Laurel nodded in acceptance of that answer as she let Oliver help her into the basket of the balloon.

* * *

After the balloon was flying in the sky, Laurel couldn't help but smile as she looked over the edge.

"Everything alright?" Oliver asked as he handed her a glass of champagne, since he'd also packed a picnic for them in the balloon.

"Yeah, I just can't believe peaceful it all looks from up here." Laurel said with a smile as Oliver wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"It's a nice reminder of what we're fighting for." Oliver said and Laurel nodded her agreement.

"So, how am I doing in terms of giving you a good anniversary?" Oliver asked and Laurel smiled.

"Best anniversary ever. I don't think there's anything that could make it better." Laurel said.

"Well, challenge accepted." Oliver said, deciding now was the time.

"What?" Laurel asked as to her surprise, Oliver pulled a small jewelry box out of his pocket and then the next thing she knew, he was down on one knee, with the box opened, revealing a beautiful ring and at that point, Laurel actually pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming this.

"This is real." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Dinah Laurel Lance. You are without a doubt the best thing that has ever happened to me. You're the reason of why I fight for our city. I am sorry it took me so long to realize that I'm the best version of myself not when I'm wearing a green hood, but when I have you by my side. And I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life. So now I have to ask you something that I hope you say yes to. Will you marry me?" Oliver asked and Laurel had tears of joy in her eyes as her response was instantaneous.

"Yes, of course I will. A million times yes I will marry you." Laurel said as Oliver grinned widely as he got up, placed the ring on her finger and kissed her passionately and they both swore they could hear fireworks in the background, though there weren't any happening.

* * *

 **Happy Valentine's Day. I figured what better day to have this chapter posted on then today. Hope you liked it.**


	65. Chapter 65

The following day, Laurel decided to go back to Star City early so she could share the news with her sister and father that she was engaged and Oliver was staying in Hub City partially so he could relearn the magic needed to resist Darhk's magic and partially to steer clear of Quentin until Laurel was able to talk him down from killing him, since while Oliver had gone to ask Quentin for his blessing, Quentin hadn't exactly been willing to give it.

Anyways, now he was in the same casino he'd gone to before, looking for Esrin Fortuna when finally he found her.

"Esrin Fortuna I presume?" Oliver asked as he walked up to her.

"Who wants to know?" the woman asked.

"A man who's had the unfortunate luck to cross paths with John Constantine." Oliver said.

"You know what that man is?" Esrin asked.

"And I know what you are. You're the only one who can teach me what I need to know." Oliver said and Esrin looked intrigued as she gestured for Oliver to walk with her.

"And what is it you think you need to know?" Esrin asked.

"How to resist the magic given by the Khushu Idol." Oliver said, knowing that would get her attention.

"So, it is true. You are the man who saved John Constantine's life on the island of Lian Yu. You're the Green Arrow." Esrin said.

"I am. And right now my home is threatened by Damien Darhk. I'm sure you're familiar with that name." Oliver said and Esrin nodded.

"I see now why John advised you to seek me out. By the way, that bastard owes me money." Esrin said and Oliver chuckled, since it seemed like some things never changed.

"Will you help me or not?" Oliver asked.

"Follow me." Esrin said and Oliver noted how she seemed much more compelled to help him than she had the first time around.

* * *

When Oliver found himself back in the same mystical dimension he'd been in before, he honestly couldn't stop himself from saying it and the only reason he did was because no one who actually knew him was around to hear him say it.

"Definitely not in Kansas anymore." Oliver said and Esrin chuckled.

"No, we left that entire plane of existence behind a while back." Esrin said.

"So, how are you going to teach me?" Oliver asked.

"By first explaining to you where Darhk's power comes from. I trust you've seen one of these before?" Esrin asked as she revealed another Khushu idol.

"It allows Darhk to channel his magic." Oliver said, since he already knew this, but even with her magic, Esrin didn't know that.

"Correct. The true source of his magic is death. The more people Darhk kills, the more powerful he becomes." Esrin said.

"And who knows how many people he's killed since he got his hands on the idol." Oliver grimaced and Esrin nodded.

"Fortunately, the tattoo that Constantine gave you will allow you to channel the necessary power to combat this." Esrin said.

"Tell me I don't need to go on a killing spree." Oliver said.

"No. You must combat Darhk's magic with its opposite. He channels dark magic, no pun intended, so counter it, you must use channel it's opposite, light and hope, la Luz Del Alma, the light of the soul. If you can learn to do this, than you can protect yourself against Darhk's magic. However, if the darkness in you is too great, you will only end up feeding Darhk's power instead of blocking it." Esrin warned.

"Got it. Can we begin?" Oliver asked and Esrin nodded.

"I'll hit you with a low dose of Darhk's magic, and then we'll take it up from there." Esrin said and Oliver nodded as she produced a bunch of dark energy from nowhere, just like she did before and just like before, Oliver blocked it as he felt the magic in him activate he felt his eyes glow as the magic didn't affect him.

"Good, that might've just been beginner's luck. Let's take it up a notch." Esrin said as she hit him with more powerful does of Darhk's magic, but this time, Oliver was able to repel it, unlike when he'd tried to learn it the first time.

They kept going at it with Esrin continuing to hit Oliver with stronger and stronger doses of Darhk's magic, but while it required a lot of effort to do so, Oliver managed to defend against it, since he'd done it before, but this time, he was learning gradually and he was beginning to truly realize why Constantine was the way he was. Learning magic was not easy, not that he'd ever thought it was, but the strain it took was incredible.

"I'm impressed Oliver. I honestly wasn't sure you had it in you to master this kind of magic." Esrin said when they finally finished.

"Neither did I. But then again, no one really knows how far they can go until they try. I just hope I can focus on that kind of magic when I finally meet Darhk." Oliver said, since he knew that Darhk would not be easy to kill, even without his magic, but he'd done it before and he intended to do it again. When he and Darhk met in this new reality, only one of them were walking away from it. He'd already saved his mother from Slade, Tommy from the Undertaking, William from Diaz and Sara from Malcolm, but now he still had the most important fate to change. He had to save Laurel from Darhk. He hadn't just asked her to marry him only to lose her all over again. He wouldn't make the same mistake he had before. The mistake of letting Darhk live. He was going to end it. Once and for all.


	66. Chapter 66

Laurel was a bit nervous right now, since there were two homicidal maniacs that were likely gunning for each other in her city and instead of being out there trying to end the League's occupation of the city, she was currently preparing for her first on camera debate with her competitors in the mayoral race.

"Relax, you'll be fine." Oliver said, trying to reassure her yet again.

"Easy for you to say." Laurel said.

"Look, just stay calm. Blood, Pollard and Adams will likely be hoping you'll slip up. Stick to your platforms and try to put them on the defensive before they get a chance to do so to you." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"I don't know how I would've been able to get through this without your help." Laurel said as she hugged her fiance.

"Your dad has SCPD squads on every entrance of this place, and the rest of the team and I are ready to suit up at a moment's notice if something goes wrong. You'll be fine." Oliver assured her.

"I hope so. Any word from the League?" Laurel asked.

"Sara's become our liaison with them and so far Ra's has been keeping his promise and she's still working on getting more intel about Darhk from them, but so far nothing we can use." Oliver said, since even though he already knew everything he needed to about Darhk, he couldn't act on his knowledge without drawing suspicion, something he had no intention of doing.

"Good, I just hope that I can make it through this." Laurel said as Oliver kissed her.

"You're gonna be amazing out there. Just like how you'll be an amazing mayor." Oliver assured her as he went to take his seat.

* * *

So far Laurel had been doing a good job of answering the questions she'd been asked, while also making sure none of her competitors were able to put her on the defensive, but she hadn't been able to do the same thing to them either. But then she finally saw an opening.

"Councilwoman Pollard, if elected, what measures will you take in regards to the rise of vigilantism in this city?" the commentator asked.

"I plan on putting forth legislation that bans vigilantism in Star City." Pollard said and that was when Laurel saw her opening.

"And what makes you think the vigilantes will actually care about any legislation you pass?" Laurel asked, causing all eyes to turn to her and Oliver was now wishing he'd brought popcorn to watch this show.

"Excuse me?" Pollard asked.

"Last time I checked, the whole point of vigilantism is going outside the law. Something is technically already illegal. If these people were actually concerned about breaking the law, they wouldn't have become vigilantes in the first place. The way I see it, creating actual legislation against them would just be a waste of time and resources, since if you think that the Green Arrow and his team are just going to stand down and stop doing what they're doing because you tell them to, you obviously don't know as much as you think you do about vigilantism since the whole point of it is disregarding the law. Diverting city resources to targeting it is nothing more than a waste of funds and manpower that could be used for more pressing matters." Laurel pointed out and the audience actually clapped at how well phrased Laurel's argument was.

"Well Ms. Lance, what is your take on the vigilantes in Star City?" the commentator asked.

"Don't get me wrong, I have nothing by the highest respect for our police officers. I mean, my father is a detective for them after all. But at the same time, we live in a world full of aliens and metahumans and whether we like it or not, the police won't always be enough to stop threats like that. But if their actions in Central City helping the Flash and Supergirl were any indication, the Green Arrow and his team can. Besides, Star City is not the first city to have some extra legal help. Before the Green Arrow showed up, Metropolis had Superman and Gotham had Batman. Besides, vigilantes are just like any other group of people. You have the good and the bad. And while if I'm elected mayor I will make it clear that criminals will never be tolerated, but as far as I'm concerned, the Green Arrow and his team frequently put their lives on the line for this city without asking for anything in return. In my opinion, that makes them heroes, not vigilantes. And also, last time I checked, the world currently hails three vigilantes as it's greatest heroes. Superman, Supergirl and the Flash. If we make it clear that they're not welcome in our city, what will happen if we need their help, but they can't come because law enforcement would interfere?" Laurel said passionately and now the whole crowd was cheering and Oliver smiled, since Laurel had handled that perfectly and he knew that now she had Pollard on the defensive. She had yet to find an argument she couldn't win, something he knew all too well from the many, many arguments they'd had the first time they'd been dating and he was sure that they'd get into plenty more after they got married, though he suspected she'd end up winning those fights to.


	67. Chapter 67

"So, who called this team meeting?" Winn asked as he, Oliver, Laurel, Thea and Roy all gathered around the base.

"I did." Sara said as she joined them.

"Okay, so what's the big deal?" Thea asked.

"I finally managed to get Ra's to share some more of the League's intel on Darhk." Sara said and that got everyone's attention, though Oliver was fairly certain he already knew more about Darhk then even Ra's did at this point.

"What did he tell you?" Laurel asked.

"Apparently Darhk was Ra's version of Slade Wilson for Oliver. They were best friends turned vicious enemies, simply because Ra's was chosen to become head of the league instead of him and when Ra's was ordered to kill Darhk, he hesitated and Darhk got away and when he left the league, he also took his own followers and water from the Lazarus pit." Sara said.

"What's the Lazarus Pit?" Roy asked.

"Basically a fountain of youth, but with much less pleasant side effects. It has the ability to heal any wound and even keep its user from aging, allowing them to live much longer than its natural. But, it comes at a cost and is highly guarded from use by anyone by Ra's al Ghul." Oliver said, thinking about how much trouble that pit had caused him.

"How do you know so much about the Lazarus Pit?" Sara asked.

"Malcolm was very informative before he died." Oliver said simply, quieting everyone down.

"You were saying Sara?" Thea asked.

"Right. Ra's said that Darhk continues on the League's way in his own way with a hive of his own followers to follow his own agenda." Sara said.

"Do we have any idea of what that agenda is?" Thea asked.

"The League has been trying to answer that question for centuries. Whatever Darhk's plan is, he's smart enough to keep it from the League's eyes." Sara said.

"Great, that's just another question we need answers to in regard to this enemy." Oliver grumbled when suddenly, the lights flickered and when they came back on, Ra's and a few of his operatives were standing in the lair.

"Oh jeez." Winn said.

"What brings you here?" Oliver asked.

"We are in need of your assistance." Ra's said as he produced a phone.

"What's that?" Sara asked, since as far as she knew, the League was still ancient in regards of communication.

"One of my operatives recovered this. It is a phone from one of Darhk's hive agents. However, it is protected in a way we cannot crack, otherwise I'm certain we could gain some intel from it." Ra's said ass Oliver took the phone.

"Winn, see what you can do." Oliver said as he handed the phone to Winn, who nodded.

"The league doesn't have many computer coders in it's ranks?" Thea asked and Sara snorted.

"Are you kidding, the League still uses paper and smoke signals to send messages." Sara said.

"Wow, you guys are really behind the times." Thea said.

"Thea enough. We have enough enemies without annoying one of the most dangerous men on the planet." Oliver said.

"Anyways, I am hoping that once we gain access to the phone, we can use it to finally locate Darhk." Ra's said.

"Maybe that's why he's been able to stay ahead of you. No offense but Darhk may be a maniac, but he's not dumb. He knows how to evolve to adapt to the times. I mean, he uses phones and guns, things that aren't out of place these days. Maybe you should consider letting the League evolve." Oliver suggested.

"Okay, before this gets any further, I did manage to decrypt the phone." Winn said.

"Did you get any data from it?" Oliver asked.

"While this thing doesn't have GPS, it does seem to be synced up with Hive's network. If I can crack it, it'll give us all of Hive's data, including where they're based, what they're plans are and what Darhk is planning." Winn said.

"Can you crack it?" Ra's asked.

"I think I can crack it, but without a certain resource, it'll take time." Winn said.

"And what resource do you need?" Ra's asked, wondering what he'd need to have his people acquire.

"The phone's owner. It's got a biometric lock that requires the user's retinal and thumb scan to be granted access to the network and it's coded to the DNA of its owner. Without that, it'll take me at least a month to crack it's encryption." Winn said.

"Please tell me the operative you got this phone from is still alive?" Oliver asked Ra's.

"He is, since I decided he could prove useful later." Ra's said.

"Bring him here and then we'll persuade him to unlock the phone." Oliver said.

"Very well. But do not try and give me orders Oliver Queen." Ra's said.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Oliver said as Ra's and his men left.

"I cannot wait until we're done working with those guys. No offense Sara." Laurel said.

"None taken. Now you know why I was so eager to leave them." Sara said.

"Once we find Darhk, Ra's and the League leave and hopefully we never have to deal with them again." Oliver said, since he doubted anyone was as eager to be done with the League as him.

* * *

 **Anyone care to guess who the mystery ghost will be?**


	68. Chapter 68

When Ra's men returned with the Ghost, Oliver was only half surprised when he recognized who it was and he had to resist the urge to put an arrow in him now. That would come later, though it probably wouldn't be an arrow.

"No way." Oliver said.

"You know this man?" Ra's asked, surprised.

"I know his brother. His name is Andy Diggle and he's supposed to be dead." Oliver said.

"Well, once he gives us what we need, we can correct that error." Ra's said and Oliver had no problems with that call, since it had been this son of a bitch that had gotten Laurel killed before and he had no intention of letting history repeat itself.

"Wait, Oliver, shouldn't we let John know? I mean Andy was his brother." Thea said.

"We don't even know where John is right now and it would take too long to try and find him. Besides, Andy has information we need now." Oliver said.

"Still, this is his brother. Maybe there's a way John can convince Andy to turn on Hive." Laurel said.

"No. Andy's loyalties to Hive are too great. We can't risk that we might be wrong." Oliver said.

"It's John's brother." Laurel protested.

"No he's not." A familiar voice said and they all turned to see John Diggle standing at the entrance of the lair.

"John, not that it isn't good to see you, but what are you doing here?" Oliver asked as Laurel and Thea went to hug him.

"Got a few days off from the job, but I suck at vacation, so I thought I'd see if I could be of use here. Imagine my surprise when I find out that my brother is alive and apparently working for the same organization that ordered the hit on him." John said

"Wait what?" Roy asked, since this was news to everyone but Oliver.

"In my downtime, I've been looking more into Andy's death, especially after I found out that his killer is a man with aim almost as good as Oliver's. Turns Andy was the target and it turns out that that the reason he was targeted is because his own criminal actions interfered with Hive's." John said angrily as he approached his brother.

"John, you got it all wrong." Andy tried, but John wouldn't have any of it.

"You were dirty back in the day and you're dirty now. Only now you've gone from corrupt military operatives to actual terrorist organizations." John said, disgusted that he'd once been proud to call this man his brother, but this time, Oliver wasn't going to try to talk him down.

"Think you can get him to squeal?" Oliver asked.

"I'm guessing that Hive trains their recruits to resist torture?" John asked, this question directed at Ra's, who nodded.

"Depends on how close to the League's methods Damien got." Ra's answered.

"Well, I say we find out just how resistant to torture he is." Oliver said and Ra's looked pleased by Oliver's attitude, while the others looked surprised.

"Oliver, are you sure about this?" Laurel asked.

"I don't like it, but sometimes you have to do things you rather wouldn't and cross lines that shouldn't be crossed to get results. Trust me, I learned that the hard way." Oliver said.

"I'm just making sure you're not going to do something you'll regret." Laurel said.

"I never said I was going to be the one to torture him. Ra's agents have already started, only right to let them finish the job." Oliver said.

"First, Mr. Schott, what is it you need from him to access the Hive network?" Ra's asked.

"His retinal scan and his thumbprint. Preferably not painfully removed from his body." Winn said as he held out the phone.

"Do it. Unlock the phone and we'll give you a quick, relatively painless death. Refuse, and we'll see just how long you can hold out." Oliver said.

"Never." Andy said.

"I got this." John said as he slid his ring on and used it to project a bright green beam of energy at Andy.

"Whoa, cool new trick." Winn said.

"What are you doing to him?" Sara asked.

"Relax, just doing this." John said as the energy seemed to grab Andy's hand and force him to place his thumb on the phone's scanner.

"Thumbprint verified. Retinal scan still needed." the phone said with a computerized voice.

"Think you can use that ring to pry open his eye?" Oliver asked, since Andy now his eyes squeezed shut tightly.

"No problem." John said as he used the ring's energy to then pry open both of Andy's eyes, since they didn't know which one it needed.

"Retinal scan confirmed." the phone said as John finally released his ring's hold on his brother.

"What do we do with him now?" Thea asked, when suddenly, Oliver had an arrow his hand and he jammed it into Andy's heart.

"Whoa. And I thought I'd be the one to kill him." John said.

"No John. He maybe a monster, but no one should have to live with the pain of killing their own family." Oliver said, since he remembered how much killing Andy had affect John the first time around.

"You okay Ollie?" Laurel asked, since Oliver was actually panting.

"Yeah, just been since I've killed someone by jamming an arrow into them instead of just shooting them." Oliver said, though the real reason was that he'd finally settled the score with Andy himself for getting Laurel killed.

"Are we in?" Sara asked Winn, trying to change the topic.

"We are in. I'm patching our systems into Hive's network now, they won't even know we're there." Winn said.

"So, how long will it take you to find Darhk's location?" Oliver asked.

"Not sure, but in the meantime, we can start dismantling his operations with intel." Winn said.

"It's a good start." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"We'll share any intel we find with you." Oliver said to Ra's, who nodded.

"We will do the same on our end, so long as our goals remain the same." Ra's said.

"My team's mission is clear. Save and protect our city. Taking out a madman like Darhk clearly fits into that criteria. So for now, yes, our objectives align. But once he's gone, I'm assuming you'll leave." Oliver asked.

"Indeed. There will be no need for us to remain here once Darhk is dead." Ra's said as he and the League retreated.

"You don't trust him do you?" Sara asked.

"Not in the slightest. Ra's is hiding something from us and I honestly don't believe that he will really leave once Darhk is dead." Oliver said.

"Let's worry about that when we actually get to it. In the meantime, we have work to do." Laurel said.

"Care to tag along for old time sakes?" Oliver asked John, who grinned.

"I'm insulted you have to ask man." John said.

"Oh John, I'm glad you're here, since I actually have a favor I need to ask you." Oliver said.

"What is it?" John asked.

"Well in case you haven't heard, Laurel and I got engaged." Oliver said.

"Yeah I heard. Congratulations." John said, wondering where this was going.

"Thank you." Laurel said.

"Well, I'd like you to be my best man." Oliver said, since he'd actually been John's best man when he and Lyla had gotten remarried.

"Really. I'd be honored." John said.

"Speaking of weddings, Alex and I will be out of town this weekend for Clark and Lois's wedding." Sara said.

"Tell them we said hi and congratulations." Laurel said, since it had become common knowledge among their team since they'd dealt with Thawne that Clark was Superman.

"I will. But don't hesitate to call me if you need me." Sara said.

"We have a Green Lantern backing us up, I think we'll manage." Oliver said, since he was honestly a bit curious about everything John could do with his new powers.

Sara nodded as they all moved to suit up.


	69. Chapter 69

"So, did you manage to replace me as your bodyguard yet?" John asked Oliver as they investigated another potential Hive location.

"No. With Merlyn dead my mom seems to no longer think I need a bodyguard." Oliver said and John sighed

"Fair enough. But I have to ask, you think Verdant is going to be as far as you go in regards to a career?" John asked

"Why do you ask?" Oliver asked.

"Because it just seems like a waste that someone like you can only help people from behind a mask." John said.

"Yeah, I don't think Quentin would be very happy if I joined the SCPD and I don't think I have the patience to be bodyguard." Oliver said, since even though he'd originally been set to work for the SCPD as the Green Arrow before the reality shift, he decided in the end that he was better off with his team not working with the police.

"Still, there are other field of the private sector. Maybe you could become a private investigator. After all, I don't think there are many people more qualified to investigate two timers then you." John said and Oliver chuckled.

"Thea has pretty much been running Verdant herself already, since I've been helping Laurel with her campaign. Since she is 18 now, maybe I should transfer the club to her name and start my own private investigator's office." Oliver considered, right as their comms went live.

"Hey guys, I think I might have gotten a new lead for you to follow on an actual Hive member." Winn said.

"What's the info?" Oliver asked.

"After John told us that Hive was the organization that hired Lawton to kill Andy, which we now know was faked and once I gained access to Hive's network, I've been trying to figure out who it was that hired Lawton to do it and I think I found them." Winn said.

"Give me a name." John said.

"Mina Fayad." Winn said.

"Get us a location on her now, I'm on my way back to pick up my gear, have the rest of the team meet us there. If Fayad's high ranking enough to call in a hit, sounds like she'll be pretty well guarded by Hive. It'll be a team effort." Oliver said.

"Copy that." Winn said as they got off the comms.

"Want a ride?" John asked.

"Might as well." Oliver said.

"Give me a sec." John said as he slid his ring on and suddenly he was wearing his Green Lantern suit.

"Hold on tight." he said as a green aura appeared around him as he began flying and he then used his ring to grab Oliver as they flew over the city back to the base.

"Talk about express service." Oliver said.

"Yeah, that took awhile to get used to. But I can breathe in space when I fly." John said.

"Nice." Oliver said as Winn finally noticed they were back.

"Wow, that was fast." Winn said.

"Helps when you can fly." John said.

"Cool." Winn said as Oliver moved to suit up.

"Any luck tracking Fayad yet?" Oliver asked when he returned, fully geared up.

"I've hooked up with the rest of Argus's system and I think I've got a lead on her." Winn said as he pulled up their satellite imagery.

"Tell the others to suit up and meet us there, John and I will go inform Ra's like we promised and meet then head there." Oliver said and Winn nodded as Oliver and John took their leave from the base.


	70. Chapter 70

"Mina Fayad, put your hands up." Green Arrow shouted as he and Green Lantern crashed through the roof of the complex Winn had tracked her to.

"Funny, neither of you look like cops to me." Fayad said as she turned to face them to find Green Arrow holding up his bow and and Green Lantern holding up a glowing ring in front of her.

"Don't move." Green Lantern shouted.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you." Fayad said.

"You and what army." Green Lantern asked and Green Arrow wanted to smack him, since if there was one thing he'd learned over the years, it was that you never asked that question, as soon as you did.

Suddenly, about two dozen ghosts appeared out of nowhere, led by another familiar face to Green Arrow.

"This army." Fayad said.

"Never ask that question. I swear, that's hero 101." Green Arrow said and Green Lantern sighed.

"Noted. I'm still learning here." Green Lantern said.

"So, an army against two freaks in green. I like my odds." Double Down said, right as a sonic scream pierced the air as Black Canary, Frostbite and Arsenal joined the party.

"Sorry we're late." Frostbite said.

"Better late than never." Green Arrow said.

"So what's the plan boss?" Black Canary asked.

"You all die. That's the plan." Double down said as he threw his tattoo playing cards at them.

"He's a meta." Green Lantern said.

"Green Lantern and I will deal with the meta. Frostbite, secure Fayad, we need her alive, Arsenal, Canary, take these soldiers down." Green Arrow said and they all nodded as they moved out.

"Oh, it's cute that you think you can take me." Double Down said.

"We don't just think it idiot. We're gonna do it." Green Lantern said as he used his power ring to blast him backwards.

"That was easy." Green Arrow said and Green Lantern nodded as they moved to help take down the Ghosts.

* * *

Fayad had almost made it to the door when suddenly ice blocked it.

"You're not going anywhere Ms. Fayad. You have information we need." Frostbite said.

"You honestly think I'd risk all my security on that pompous Double Down. I made sure I have a failsafe. Especially for dealing with you." Fayad said.

"And what might that be?" Frostbite asked, right as she was hit from behind by what she immediately recognized as a cold blast and turned to see her bastard father standing there.

"First Church, now Hive, you really are going for the award for worst father of the year." Frostbite groaned as she got to her feet.

"Come now dear. I know that there's a part of you that wants this to. Stop fighting me and join us. We can be a family at last." Icicle said.

"You're not my family. All you are is a pain in my ass." Frostbite said as she summoned an ice dagger.

"You really want to do this?" Icicle asked.

"Unless you'd rather fly away." Frostbite said, but first, she put one hand behind her back and froze Fayad to the ground.

"Can't have you running away now can we?" Frostbite as she turned her attention back towards her father, who summoned his dagger.

"Let's do this shall we." Icicle said.

"Let's." Frostbite agreed as the two began fighting.

* * *

"Never thought I'd say this, but where's the League when you need them." Black Canary asked as suddenly several league agents burst into the building.

"Well, they've got timing, that's for sure." Green Arrow said as the remainder of the Ghosts were finished off with ease, but then he noticed an icy figure flying away again.

"What was that?" Green Lantern asked.

"I have a hunch, I just hope I'm wrong." Green Arrow said.

"The prisoner is still secured." a league member said.

"Take her to Ra's. We can't risk her learning our bases location or our identities." Green Arrow said and the member nodded as the League went to take Fayad to their leader.


	71. Chapter 71

"So, you're father has joined forces with Hive." John said to Thea, who nodded.

"Looks like that's one thing we have in common. Family members who turned out to be villians." Thea said as Oliver thought to himself that some things never changed. Thea's father may be a different man now, but he was still a douche.

"Did you guys ever tell Caitlin about this. She needs to be on alert in case Icicle tries to go through her." Laurel asked.

"Icicle won't try. For some reason he seems to be fixed on Thea, otherwise I'm sure we would've heard something from Barry about him attacking her." Oliver said.

"What I'm trying to figure out is why I got cold powers like my dad, but Caitlin didn't, since we both have the same dad." Thea said.

"Maybe she does, she just hasn't experienced anything to trigger them yet." Oliver said.

"That is a thought. I mean Thea, your powers didn't begin to show until we were kidnapped by that weird Savior guy." Roy pointed out.

"Anyways, back on topic, should we be worried that a meta who also appears to know Thea's and possibly all of our identities is working with Hive?" Laurel asked.

"Something tells me that if Darhk knew our identities, we'd already know about it." Oliver assured them.

"Why exactly did we let the League have Fayad?" Roy asked.

"Because in the event Hive is tracking her, we can't risk revealing the location of our base to them." Oliver explained.

"Wait, that gives me an idea." Winn said.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"If Hive does track their members the same way the government tracks their agents, then we can use that frequency to back trace every place Fayad's been and maybe even locate where Hive's headquarters is." Winn said.

"How would they be tracking her. By her phone?" Laurel asked.

"I doubt it. My guess would be some kind of implant. Every Argus, DEO and government agent have a subdermal implant that allows our superiors to track us in case we get kidnapped." Winn said.

"So you have one?" Laurel asked and Winn nodded.

"Did you have one when you worked for Argus?" John asked Oliver, who shook his head.

"No, as far as Waller was concerned, I was expendable and didn't need to be tracked." Oliver said.

"Okay then. So, she would tell the League about this?" Thea asked.

"It couldn't hurt. I will go inform the league to make sure that they don't accidentally destroy any implants she might have on her, since that could be our best chance at finding Darhk and putting Hive in the ground for good." Oliver said and they all nodded.

* * *

"What brings you here Oliver?" Maseo asked and it still hurt Oliver that a man he'd once called his friend was still embedded with such a deranged monster.

"I need to speak to Ra's about your latest captive." Oliver said and Maseo nodded as he led Oliver to Ra's.

"What is it Al-Sah-Him." Ra's asked.

"Don't call me that. I made it clear that I have no intention of joining the League." Oliver snarled, since Ra's calling him that brought back memories of a time he'd have rather forgotten.

"Very well, what is it?" Ra's asked.

"Have you found any kind of trackers in Ms. Fayad?" Oliver asked.

"None that I can see, but perhaps you can employ a more advanced solution." Ra's said and Oliver nodded as he pulled out the tracker Winn gave him as Ra's led him to where Fayad was being held and it was clear she already been tortured.

"She has an astounding level of resistance." Ra's said.

"I'm sure she does. Winn did a bit more digging and found that Fayad was a Hive agent embedded in Argus. It's how Darhk got his hands on the idol that gives him his magic. But anyways." Oliver said as he ran the tracker over Fayad until it went off.

"It's embedded in her spinal column. Any attempt to remove it would paralyze her from the waist down if she doesn't die." Oliver said.

"Do we have anymore use of her?" Ra's asked.

"Winn says that we can use the data in her implant to track every place she's been since she arrived in Star City, including wherever Darhk and Hive are operating out of." Oliver said, since while he was still against the League's always using killing as a first resort, he knew that they needed that implant and this was the best way to get it.

"Then, I'll have it extracted and brought back to you." Ra's said and Oliver nodded, since he honestly did not want to see this.


	72. Chapter 72

Oliver was starting to get impatient as he watched Winn examine the implant the League had taken from Fayad.

"Winn, have you made any progress yet?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, the encryption on this thing was surprisingly easy to crack." Winn said.

"You'd think that Hive would go to much deeper lengths to protect their secrets." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"My thoughts exactly, which is why I've been examining the implant I finally figured out why it was so easy for me to crack in the encryption." Winn said.

"So?" Oliver asked.

"Because I'm the one who set it. This is Argus tech. Fayad must've been providing Hive with it." Winn said and now Oliver understood.

"Makes sense. To anyone else, your encryption would be much harder to crack." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"I think we should talk to Lyla, see if there are any other Hive agents in Argus." Winn said.

"And not just Argus. Who's to say they haven't infiltrated other organizations to." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Anyways, back on the subject of the implant, I've already begun pulling all it's previous locations from it's tracking history and I'm using an algorithm to determine any points of frequent use in Star City. That's most likely what Hive's base will be." Winn said.

"Let me know when you get that data. In the meantime, I'm going to go to Lyla." Oliver said and Winn nodded as he got to work.

* * *

"Okay Oliver, what exactly is so important we needed to talk?" Lyla asked.

"Argus has been compromised." Oliver said.

"What?" Lyla asked.

"Mina Fayad, you know her?" Oliver asked.

"Of course I do she's ex Argus." Lyla said.

"And as of now, ex Hive, as in she's dead. She had a tracking implant in her that Winn identified as Argus tech with his coding. There's a good chance Hive has infiltrated Argus." Oliver said and now Lyla was giving this her whole attention.

"Who do you know we can trust right now?" Lyla asked.

"You, Alex, Winn and Sara. No one else is above suspicion." Oliver said.

"Well even so Oliver, I'd have to wait until Alex gets back, since she's the director of Argus, which means." Lyla said.

"Which means that she has to approve any internal investigations into the organization while also being able to keep it off the books." Oliver said, honestly missing the days when Lyla was director, since it was so much easier to do things like this when she was at the top, but he knew how things were and Alex was still an upgrade from Waller.

"Can you please bring her to speed on this quickly, we need to figure out how deep Hive's infiltration spreads. I mean, for all we know, Fayad could be the extent of it, but I'd like to be sure." Oliver said and Lyla nodded.

"I'll try and call her now, but chances are she's either asleep or otherwise engaged in Metropolis for tonight." Lyla said.

"It can wait until after the wedding. I'd rather not get Supergirl or the Flash involved in this right now. They both don't exactly understand the morally questionable decisions I've had to make." Oliver said.

"Like working with the League of Assassins." Lyla said and Oliver nodded.

"The only reason I'm working with them Lyla is because Ra's has necessary intel we need to stop a serious threat to not only this city, but maybe the world and unlike me, he doesn't have any issues with how he gets that intel. I mean I'm just as capable, but." Oliver said.

"But there are lines you don't like crossing unless it's an absolute last resort." Lyla said and Oliver nodded.

"I gotta go. Oh, by the way, John's back in town. Not sure for how long, but you should talk to him before he leaves again." Oliver said.

"I'll keep that in mind." Lyla said as Oliver walked out of Argus HQ.


	73. Chapter 73

Laurel was sitting at her desk in her campaign office when there was a knock on her closed door.

"It's open." Laurel called out as Alex entered her office with some new guy she'd never seen before.

"Who's this?" Laurel asked.

"Ms. Lance, my name is Ray Palmer." Ray said as he held out his hand, which Laurel then shook.

"Hang on, Ray Palmer, as in the founder and CEO of Palmer Technologies?" Laurel asked, since she was well aware of Ray's status, since she knew that her fiance's family had done business with Palmer Technologies in the past.

"Yes, that Ray Palmer." Ray said.

"Please, have a seat. What can I do for you?" Laurel asked.

"Well, my company is currently looking to expand from National City to here in Star City and I thought a good way to help that goal would be to help finance the campaign of the current leader in the mayoral election." Ray said, trying to lay on the charm.

"I have to admit, that is a smart play and might work if it weren't for the fact that I know that something like that never comes without a price. So, before I accept anything from the CEO of the company that is one of the biggest competitors of my fiance's family's company, I'd like to know now what it is you'd like in return." Laurel said.

"Wow, you are really good at playing politics." Ray said.

"I was a lawyer before I decided to run for office, I can tell when people have some other motive, so tell me Mr. Palmer, why are you trying to fund my candidacy. Queen Consolidated is already providing me with more than enough." Laurel asked.

"Well, maybe I should ask why Queen Consolidated is so willing to back you?" Ray asked.

"It's simple, I'm engaged to Oliver Queen and I practically grew up in the Queen Household. I'm on a first name basis with Moira Queen, something very few people can say. I've spent my life showing the Queens I'm responsible and they can trust me." Laurel said like it should be obvious.

"Fair point. Okay look, the real reason I want to support your campaign is because my board and I genuinely believe that you are the best choice to lead Star City. We've gone over all the other campaigns and you're the only one who's plans might actually be in the best interest of this city long term. We want to do what we can to make sure that you're the one who's elected." Ray said.

"Flattery, smart tactic." Laurel said.

"Except it's not just flattery. Mr. Palmer was kind enough to bring us these spreadsheets regarding your opponents designs and he's telling the truth." Alex said as he handed Laurel the files Ray had given him to look over.

"Well, I have to admit, this is very tempting. But Mr. Palmer, you'll understand if I need some time to talk this over with my other sponsors, since I don't want to risk losing their funding, even if I'd be gaining yours." Laurel said and Ray nodded.

"Of course. Here's my card, just call me when you reach your decision." Ray said as he handed Laurel his business card.

"Thank you for your time." Alex said as he showed Ray out of her office, right as Laurel's phone buzzed and she saw it was text from Oliver, saying to get to the base now.

"Alex, I need to go, hopefully, I'll be back soon." Laurel said as she moved to grab her coat.

"You sure?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, sorry, but it can't be helped." Laurel said as she grabbed her bag and headed out.

* * *

"What's going on?" Laurel asked as she entered the base to find Oliver, John, Thea, Roy and Winn already there.

"We've finally located Hive's base of operations. We've already alerted the League and we're moving now to hit them." Oliver said.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sara to get back?" Laurel asked.

"We can't risk giving away the element of surprise. Hive will likely be aware something is wrong since neither Andy or Fayad have checked in, so we need to hit them before they move again." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as she moved to suit up.

Oliver was inwardly debating about whether or not he should let Laurel come with them, but in the end, decided that since he couldn't give her a real explanation as to why she can't come, he decided that the best move was to let her come, but redirect her away from Darhk, since he did not want her anywhere near that son of a bitch.

"Actually, Laurel, you and Thea are going to have a slightly different objective at the base." Oliver said.

"What do you mean?" Thea asked as Laurel rejoined them.

"This is the source of Darhk's magic. It's most likely somewhere on the base, I need you two to find it and destroy it to cut off his magic. I can resist it, but at the same time, I want to tip the scales in our favor as much as possible." Oliver said as he showed them an image of Darhk's idol.

"That's still a pretty important assignment." Laurel said and Oliver inwardly sighed in relief that they weren't questioning it.

"Why do you think I'm trusting you two with it. Roy, John and I will join the League in the main fighting. Let us know as soon as the idol is destroyed, since once that happens, Darhk's basically a sitting duck. I'll try to keep him occupied as long as I can, though I'll still be aiming to kill him." Oliver said and they all nodded that they understood the plan as they headed out.


	74. Chapter 74

By the time Green Arrow and his team arrived at the hive base, they could hear sounds of fighting coming from inside.

"Looks like the League didn't bother waiting for us." Black Canary said.

"Ra's men are expendable to him and for this particular target, I'm willing to bet he'd sacrifice the whole just to take down one man." Green Arrow said.

"But something tells me Ra's can't resist Darhk's magic like you can." Green Lantern said.

"I doubt it. Split up, you know your missions." Green Arrow said.

"Find the idol and cut off Darhk's magic." Black Canary said as she and Frostbite headed off separately from the others.

"And now we get to have the real fun." Arsenal said.

"Just stay out of Darhk's line of site. He's mine." Green Arrow said.

"How will we know which one is Darhk?" Arsenal asked.

"Look for one who isn't using any weapons and isn't dressed in hive gear, but is still fighting. Also, he's the one with the magic." Green Arrow said.

"Good point." Arsenal said.

"Green Lantern, make us a door will you?" Green Arrow asked and Green Lantern nodded as he held up his hand used his ring to blast a hole into the building, allowing the three of them to enter.

* * *

Frostbite had recently mastered her ability to fly, which she used to get her and Black Canary to the roof of the building.

"Nice trick." Black Canary said.

"Thanks, but I think next time I'm gonna use the ice slide so I don't have to carry you." Frostbite said.

"Excuse me?" Black Canary asked, giving her a look.

"You're heavy. Now I believe we have a mission to do." Frostbite said, getting them back on track.

"Got it. Winn you read me?" Black Canary asked over the comms.

"Loud and clear. Do you see a fuse box or security panel anywhere on the roof?" Winn asked.

"Yeah I see it." Black Canary as she walked over to it.

"Now what?" Frostbite asked.

"Canary, check your belt and you'll find a video hacker in it. Place it on the panel and I can then use it to get eyes on the inside, I can tell you where to go." Winn said.

"Copy that." Black Canary said as she found the device on her belt and attached it to the panel.

"Device planted, you're up." Black Canary said.

"Copy that I should have eyes on in three, two, one and I'm in." Winn said as he accessed the surveillance footage.

"Any chance you can unlock the door on the roof?" Frostbite asked as they heard a clicking noise.

"You mean like that?" Winn asked.

"You rock. Lead us to our goal." Black Canary said as she and Frostbite headed in.

* * *

Back on the ground floor, it was a war zone as the League of Assassins and Hive tried to massacre each other, but Green Arrow's vision narrowed the second he saw Darhk fighting Ra's.

"I've got eyes on Darhk. Cover me." Green Arrow said.

"I'll clear you a path." Green Lantern said as they joined in the fighting as Green Arrow fought his towards Darhk while Green Lantern and Arsenal did their best to help the League fight off Hive.

* * *

"Well, well old friend. It looks like we finally know who the best is." Damien said to Ra's as he used his magic to hold Ra's in the air and was starting to drain the life out of him.

"You have no honor Damien." Ra's said.

Before Darhk could respond to that, he was thrown backwards by an exploding arrow, releasing Ra's from his power.

"Darhk!" Green Arrow shouted as he lunged at him, taking over the fight.

"Oh goodie, a new playmate." Darhk said as he tried to use his magic on Green Arrow, but to his shock, it didn't work and Green Arrow's eyes glowed yellow.

"Not so easy without the magic is it?" Green Arrow asked with a grin.

"Oh I don't need magic. I'm a former member of the League of Assassins. Or have you forgotten." Darhk said, reminding Oliver of their last battle almost completely.

"Remind me." Green Arrow said as he lunged at Darhk and the two began fighting and even without his magic, Darhk was a force to be reckoned with.

"You know, I'm glad I'm you're here. It saves me the trouble of having to find out who you are the hard way. And once I find out, I think I'll keep you alive just long enough for you to see me kill everyone you love." Darhk said and Green Arrow's vision went red with anger as he lashed out and began moving at speeds even the Flash would be impressed by.

"You'll never hurt anyone I care about." Green Arrow roared as he pulled out an arrow, took aim and fired it right into Darhk's heart.

"And this time, stay dead." Green Arrow said under his breath as he began to let go of a ball of stress he didn't even realize had been there since the reality reset had happened. Darhk was dead. The man who'd killed the love of his life was gone and he'd never be able to hurt her again. Laurel was safe. That was all that mattered to him anymore.

"You killed him." Ra's said.

"Sorry, but it was either him or you." Green Arrow said.

"I should've prepared for his magic like you did. Are you sure you do not wish a place in the league?" Ra's asked.

"I've made my position on that clear. I am happy with the life I have now and if you try and ruin it, well then, I hope you have an heir, since I have no problems killing you now that we no longer have Darhk to worry about." Oliver said, making it clear that he would never join the League again and he would kill Ra's without hesitation if he tried to force that on him.


	75. Chapter 75

While the boys were fighting Darhk, the Black Canary and Frostbite found that they got their own fill of the action, since it turns out that Darhk kept his idol well guarded. However, between Frostbite's cold powers and Black Canary's sonic cry, the ghosts were quickly dealt with as they approached the room that Winn had informed them Darhk's idol was in.

"Okay Winn, I'm assuming that Darhk would not put the source of his magic's safety in just the hands of his soldiers. What sort of security systems are we looking at?" Black Canary asked, since right now, the only thing they saw in the room was the idol, but it seemed too easy.

"Give me a minute." Winn said as he worked.

"Okay, Darhk is really going all out on security for this thing. The entire room is lined with a laser grid." Winn said.

"We can't see it." Frostbite said.

"That's because it's an invisible laser grid. Frostbite, use your cold blast to reveal the lasers." Winn said.

"Copy that." Frostbite said as she ice blasted the grid, revealing it.

"Any suggestions on what to do?" Black Canary asked.

"You know how we've been working to refine your cry?" Winn asked.

"Yeah, why?" Black Canary asked.

"I think you can use it to destroy the laser emitters. The system won't work without them." Winn said.

"Copy that. You might want to cover your ears." Black Canary said to Frostbite as she got out of Black Canary's way as she took a deep breath and unleashed her sonic cry and just like Winn suggested, her cry destroyed both the ice and laser projectors.

"Any other traps we should know about?" Frostbite asked.

"Uh, only one and it's the cold kind." Winn said as a new reading came onto his monitors.

"Icicle's inbound." Black Canary realized.

"Bingo. Not sure why I couldn't track him the same I do Frostbite, but he just appeared on my scopes." Winn said.

"Get the idol. I'll deal with my father." Frostbite said to Black Canary.

"You sure?" Black Canary asked.

"Yeah, he's not getting away this time." Frostbite said and Black Canary nodded as she headed in and Frostbite turned around, summoning an ice dagger just in time to catch her father's own ice dagger.

* * *

"Winn, any ideas on how to destroy this idol?" Black Canary asked him over the comms as she walked up to it.

"My advice, try treating it like an opera singer with a glass. You scream at the right frequency, you'll shatter that thing into a million pieces." Winn said.

"Got it." Black Canary said as she took a deep breath and began using her sonic cry and she could actually hear Winn telling her the frequencies she was hitting over the comms until finally, the idol shattered like glass.

"That was intense." Black Canary said as she gasped heavily, since she'd never used her cry for that long before.

"Well, at least the job is done, though I'd grab a couple of pieces to keep it from putting itself back together." Winn advised.

"Got it." Black Canary said.

* * *

"How disappointing we find ourselves on opposite sides again. We could be so much stronger together my daughter." Icicle said.

"I chose my side and my family. And neither of them include you." Frostbite said as she summoned an ice sword to her other hand and swung it at Icicle, nicking him in the shoulder before he countered by summoning a sword of his own.

"So you have a sword. But can you use it as well as I can?" Frostbite asked as the two began sparring and while Icicle was impressive, Frostbite had been trained in the art of swords by both Oliver Queen and Sara Lance, so her skills were far superior as she used her blade to shatter Icicle's blade like the ice it was made out of and she then ice blasted him back and to the ground.

"Go on, do it. End me." Icicle said as his daughter stood over him.

"Oh believe, I want to kill you for what you did to my mom and for threatening my family." Frostbite said as she encased her fist in ice and held it up and Icicle braced himself to die.

"Frostbite, don't kill him. That's not who you are." Black Canary said.

"Don't listen to her. You're like me. Now do it." Icicle said.

"I'm nothing like you." Frostbite said as she slammed her fist into her father's head, not hard enough to kill him, but hard enough that he'd have a concussion when he woke up.

"Nice move." Black Canary said.

"I'm not a killer. Besides, maybe now that we've got him, we can find a way to cure him." Frostbite said and Black Canary smiled as she got on the comms.

"Green Arrow, the idol is destroyed and Icicle is captured. What's your status?" Black Canary asked her fiance.

"Darhk is dead and Hive is finished. We need to get Icicle to Argus lock up now." Green Arrow said.

"Copy that." Black Canary said as she helped Frostbite pick him up and they got him out of there.


	76. Chapter 76

"So, did you call Caitlin?" Thea asked Lyla as they stood outside the cell that now contained her father.

"Yeah, she's on her way here now. I didn't tell her the reason for it though. Figured it would be best coming from you. By the way, have you told her that you're sisters yet?" Lyla asked Thea, who shook her head.

"No, I'm not sure how bring it up." Thea said.

"Well, you're going to have to tell her now." Lyla said as Caitlin approached them.

"Tell me what?" Caitlin asked.

"Well for starters, this." Thea said as she pressed a button that revealed the cell's inmate to them.

"Wait, dad." Caitlin asked, shocked since she'd thought her dad was dead.

"Finally, both of my daughters are together." Icicle said with a sick grin.

"Wait, both of his daughters?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah, it turns out that after your parents got divorced, my mom had an affair with him and I was the result of it." Thea said sheepishly.

"So, you're my sister." Caitlin said.

"Yeah, not exactly how I wanted to tell you, but I guess this is killing two birds with one stone." Thea said as Caitlin then turned to her father.

"How is he even alive?" Caitlin asked.

"He managed to use a cryogenic treatment to cure his ALS, but at the same time, it turned him into this. The Icicle. He also performed a modified version of the treatment on me when I was a baby to keep me from developing ALS and that's where I got my powers from." Thea explained.

"And yet this family is not truly complete yet, for we are still missing someone." Icicle said as he looked at Caitlin.

"Why are you looking at me?" Caitlin asked.

"Before I treated your sister, I treated you. After that, I made more refinements to the treatment before I performed it on Thea. That's why her powers don't have their own alter-ego." Icicle said.

"Wait, I have cold powers to?" Caitlin asked, shocked.

"I'm still trying to figure out why Thea's powers became active while your's didn't." Icicle said.

"I can answer that. My powers activated after I was kidnapped by the so called Savior. The rush of adrenaline activated my powers." Thea said.

"Even so, I'm not even sure I want powers." Caitlin said as she walked away and Thea followed her sister.

"Hey, you okay?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, sorry. It's just, these powers are probably what turned dad into what he is now. You didn't know him before, but he was a good man and a great father, my mother even admitted that the only reason they got divorced was because in the end they just wanted different things." Caitlin said.

"That's why I brought you in on this. I didn't just want you to know what happened to him." Thea said.

"You were hoping I might be able to find a way to cure him." Caitlin said.

"You're the most skilled biochemist I know. If anyone can figure it out, you can." Thea said.

"It would be easier if I had access to my father's research and equipment. If I can find out exactly he created this meta gene, I might be able to use that data to reverse the process." Caitlin said.

"Great, but I'm guessing that's not the only reason you left." Thea said.

"Yeah, finding out you apparently have powers inert inside you is a bit shocking. And I'm not even sure I want them." Caitlin said.

"Why not? You've seen the things I can do right?" Thea asked.

"Yes, but at the same time, you heard what dad said, the treatment he used on you was more refined and advanced then the one he did on me. What if I become like him?" Caitlin said.

"Look Caitlin, I know I make it look easy to control this power, but it isn't. Even though my powers don't come with a split personality, thank god for that by the way, I still feel the darkness that comes with them. I felt it when I had him at my mercy earlier. I could've killed him. But I didn't. We all choose who we want to be and what we do with our lives. The choice about whether or not you want to activate your powers is yours. But a bit of advice." Thea said.

"More advice?" Caitlin asked.

"Wait until after you figure out that cure, so that if you change your mind about the powers, you can reverse it." Thea said and Caitlin nodded as her sister left her alone to think.


	77. Chapter 77

Today was the day everyone in Star City had been waiting for. Today was election day for Star City and the polls had just closed. Now Laurel's entire campaign staff, plus her family and friends were standing in her campaign office, waiting for the results of the election to be announced and with every passing moment, Laurel became more and more nervous, despite Oliver's attempts to calm her down.

"How much longer will it take?" Thea asked.

"Hey, there's a lot of people in this city, it's gonna take time for them to count every vote." Oliver pointed out, right as the news came on.

"The votes have been counted and a winner has been declared." Susan Williams said on screen and Laurel crossed her fingers as they all waited in anticipation.

"It's official. By an overwhelming majority vote, Laurel Lance has been elected as the new mayor of Star City, winning in a landslide vote. Coming in second place was councilwoman Emily Pollard and in third was Alderman Sebastian Blood." Susan said and Laurel let out a sigh of relief as everyone began cheering.

"I knew you'd win." Oliver said with a smile as he kissed her.

"I can't believe I won. I'm the mayor now." Laurel said.

"Well technically, not until you take the oath of office tomorrow." Quentin said, only to have both of his daughter's glare at him and he held up his hands in surrender.

"I think this calls for a toast." Oliver called out as champagne was passed around.

"To the newest mayor of Star City, I'd like give a special congratulations Mayor Laurel Lance." Oliver said as he held up his glass, which everyone did.

"Speech." Sara called out and many people joined in until Laurel smiled and finally nodded.

"First off, I'd like to thank all of you for your unwavering support in me and my campaign. Now we've won, but that's only half the battle. I just hope I can live up to the faith you've all placed in me." Laurel said and Oliver smiled as he and everyone else began clapping for her.

* * *

The next morning, Laurel found herself walking through City Hall, trying to stop herself from freaking out.

"You okay?" Councilmen Kemp asked her as she walked up to him.

"Yeah, just trying to keep myself from freaking out that this is actually happening." Laurel said and Kemp chuckled.

"Don't worry. If you weren't right for this job, the people of Star City wouldn't have elected you. It really was a landslide victory for you, since you had 80% of the vote." Kemp assured her.

"I just hope I'm as good as everyone hopes I'll be." Laurel said.

"Shall we go?" Kemp asked and Laurel nodded as she let him lead her out into the room where the press, along with Oliver, Sara, Thea, Moira, Walter and her father were all sitting and waiting as Kemp held out a bible to her.

"Please place your left hand on the bible, raise your right hand and recite the oath." Kemp said and Laurel nodded, took a deep breath and began speaking.

"I, Dinah Lance do solemnly swear to support the charter and laws of Star City and to faithfully and impartially perform and discharge the duties of the office of mayor according to the law and to the very best of my ability." Laurel said, since she had to use her first name in an event like this.

"Congratulations, Mayor Lance." Kemp said as they shook hands and Laurel smiled for the cameras.

* * *

In a small apartment on the other side of town, a man was sitting in on the bed, watching the inauguration on a small TV.

He turned to look at a bulletin board that had pictures of Team Arrow and all their family members and at the very top was a photo of Oliver Queen.

The man sneered at the picture of Oliver before whirling around and chucking a throwing star at it.

"Sleep tight while you can Oliver. Because I'm coming for you." the man said as he looked at the star embedded between Oliver's eyes.


	78. Chapter 78

"Okay, so what exactly is it you wanted to see me for?" Quentin asked his daughter as he entered her new office and he had to admit, he was impressed.

"One of my initiatives for becoming mayor was re examining the police force, since Church alone showed just how deep the corruption in the police force goes and dad, you're one of the few cops I know aren't crooked." Laurel said.

"Thanks, I think." Quentin said and Laurel smiled.

"It's a good thing, because it means I can trust you to help me with this." Laurel said as she handed her father a file.

"The ACI?" Quentin asked.

"Anti Crime Initiative. Since we don't know how deep the corruption in the SCPD goes, I managed to convince the city council to approve this motion to create a special unit of cops who will report directly to me instead and will help fill in the role of the SCPD until we're sure we've purged a majority of the corruption from it." Laurel said.

"That's actually a pretty good idea." Quentin said.

"Thanks, I wish I could take all the credit, but Oliver's the one who gave me the idea." Laurel said.

"I swear, it seems like that boy knows more about politics then he's letting on." Quentin said and Laurel chuckled.

"Tell me about it, at this point, I'm considering making him my deputy mayor." Laurel chuckled.

"Not sure how I'd feel about that." Quentin said.

"Relax, I was joking. Pretty sure that would be seen as nepotism since Ollie and I are getting married in a few months." Laurel said.

"Yeah, speaking of which, Laurel, we need to talk about that." Quentin said.

"Dad, I don't care what you say, I am marrying Oliver, whether you like it or not. If you continue to make an issue of it, well, don't forget I can control your status in the SCPD right now." Laurel said and Quentin chuckled.

"Relax, I admit, I wasn't thrilled when Oliver asked me for my blessing, but I've come to realize just how much he has changed, so, I'm giving it my blessing now." Quentin said.

"And you're not just sucking up to your new boss?" Laurel asked.

"Please, we both know that's a waste of time." Quentin said and Laurel smiled as she hugged her father.

"Thank you dad." Laurel said.

"I'm sorry for not being more supportive until now." Quentin said.

"Well, there is one thing you can do to make it up to me." Laurel said.

"And that is?" Quentin asked.

"You can walk me down the aisle." Laurel said.

"I'd be honored." Quentin said.

"Great, now the only member of my family who's not going to be actively participating in the ceremony is mom and honestly, I don't even care if she shows up. I haven't even talked to her since I visited her in Central City." Laurel said.

"Are you sure Laurel?" Quentin asked.

"Mom made her choice when she left us. But anyways, with you giving me away and Sara being my maid of honor, all the members of my family that I want there. I mean, I invited her, not sure if I care if she actually comes." Laurel said and Quentin sighed, right as his phone rang.

"Hello? Yeah I'll be right there." Quentin said.

"What's going on?" Laurel asked.

"A homicide. One of the few good cops left on this precinct was found dead this morning. I'm going to help investigate." Quentin said and Laurel nodded, thinking that this was something Team Arrow should definitely start looking into.


	79. Chapter 79

"Okay, what's so urgent that you called me to come here?" Oliver asked as he entered his fiance's office and still trying to comprehend that in another reality, had once been his office.

"A cop killer." Laurel said and that got Oliver's attention.

"What's going on?" Oliver, praying that this wasn't what he thought it was.

"I was talking to my dad about the ACI earlier today when he got a call in about a homicide. I used my new security clearance as the mayor to get more information." Laurel said.

"Who was it?" Oliver asked.

"Officer Sam Conahan. He's one of the few cops I'd already cleared to join the ACU. But the thing that got my attention was the murder weapon. It was a throwing star Ollie." Laurel said and Oliver groaned.

"Okay, here's what we'll do. You tell Captain Pike to keep you looped in on this investigation, since it sounds like this killer is a major problem for this city, so it makes sense that you want to be involved in this. In the meantime, I will have Sara check with both the League and Argus to see if they have any ideas on who this killer is." Oliver said, though he was planning on seeing if this was what he dreaded it was.

* * *

"Winn, I need you to check on something for me?" Oliver asked as he entered the lair, which was sort of where it felt like Winn lived nowadays.

"What's up?" Winn asked.

"I need to check in on an Adrian Chase." Oliver said.

"Okay, any reason why or is this one of those things where I shouldn't ask and just do what you say?" Winn asked.

"Second one. If you don't find any records of him, try Simon Morrison." Oliver said.

"Okay then." Winn said as he pulled up the records.

"Okay, yep, here we go. Adrian Chase, formerly known as Simon Morrison. It says here that he is the illegitimate son of Justin Clayborne, who I believe is currently in Iron Heights thanks to you, but anyways, Chase grew up in Gotham and a few years ago he was put in the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane after number of skirmishes with Batman, who, thanks to Sara, we now know is real." Winn said as he showed Oliver Chase's file.

"It says here he was committed with insanity for a life." Oliver said.

"Yep." Winn said.

"Well can you do me a favor and make sure that's exactly what he's doing right now?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah sure." Winn said as he began typing and after a few moments, he'd hacked into Arkham's security footage to reveal that Chase was still locked up in his cell.

"Okay, thank you Winn." Oliver said, both relieved that this wasn't Chase and that Chase was already in custody, but also frustrated, since for the first time since the reality shift, he knew nothing about their new opponent. Merlyn, Slade, Church, Darhk, them he all knew and was able to use his past knowledge to help give him an edge against them. This new opponent however, he had no idea where to even begin start looking, which meant that for the first time in awhile, he was truly back to square one.

* * *

Laurel was surprised when she came home to find Oliver wasn't anywhere to be found, something that was rare nowadays, especially since she knew he was working to get his license to be a private investigator, so now she was wondering where he was.

When she tried calling him, she was only half surprised to reach his voicemail.

The next person she called was Winn.

"Hey Winn, is Oliver's suit still in the lair?" Laurel asked.

"No, I thought you knew he was on patrol." Winn said.

"No, I didn't. I need to track his suit's GPS, I'm on my way there now." Laurel said, wondering what the hell was going on with Oliver right now.


	80. Chapter 80

"So, did you find him?" Laurel asked Winn when she entered the lair.

"No, he disabled the the GPS in his suit and I can't bring it back online." Winn said.

"What is he thinking." Laurel asked.

"I don't know, but he's been acting weird ever since you told him about that cop murder." Winn said.

"Weird how?" Laurel asked.

"He asked me to look into a criminal already incarcerated in Arkham Asylum and didn't believe it until he actually saw him in a cell." Winn said.

"Call the others and see if Sara can get Alex to give us access to the Argus satellites. We need to find Oliver and talk some sense into him." Laurel said.

"I think we both know that you're the one he's most likely to listen to." Winn said.

"True, but still. We can cover more ground." Laurel said and Winn nodded as Laurel went to suit up.

* * *

Green Arrow was standing on the building across from the precinct. He needed to get his hands on that throwing star that was used to kill Conahan.

However, before he can could make a move, he found his feet frozen to the ground.

"What took you so long?" Green Arrow asked as he turned to see Black Canary, White Canary, Frostbite and Arsenal standing in front of him.

"It's a big city and you turned off your tracker." Black Canary said.

"What are you doing outside the SCPD Ollie?" Frostbite asked.

"Getting what I need to find this killer." Green Arrow said.

"The murder weapon?" White Canary asked.

"It's the only lead we have and no offense to your father, but we can do this more effectively then he can." Green Arrow said.

"Keyword being we. That means all of is Oliver. Not just you. You maybe our team's leader, but we're still a team." Arsenal reminded him.

"I know." Green Arrow said.

"Then why did you come here alone? Or at all. I'm mayor, I can find a way to get us that intel or Sara could use her FBI cover. There are other ways we can get what we need besides breaking and entering. Right now Pollard is trying to get me to pass an anti vigilante legislation. So far I've been able to stall her, but if you break into the SCPD and steal evidence, the rest of the city council will back her and I don't have the pull yet to stop it." Black Canary said as Green Arrow sighed, knowing she was right.

"You're right. But when I realized that unlike Darhk, Church and Slade, he had no intel on this guy, I freaked out. Even with Merlyn, we had an idea of what we were trying to do. This guy, we know nothing about." Green Arrow said as Frostbite unfroze his feet.

"Hey, so we're starting from scratch this time. It doesn't matter. We'll find this guy and stop him." Black Canary said as she walked up to him.

"I know. And I'm sorry I went solo like this. And that is one of the only apologies I will ever give any of you about the decisions I make in this area of our lives, so take it." Green Arrow said and the others all laughed at that, though they knew he was serious.

"So, can we go home now?" Black Canary asked.

"Yes, we can. Tomorrow, we'll regroup and come up with a real plan to stop this guy." Green Arrow said.

"Sounds good to me." Frostbite said as they all headed back, unaware that someone had been watching them the whole time.

"So, you think you can stop me Oliver. Well then, let it begin." the unknown figure said as he put down his binoculars and turned away from the sight in front of him.

* * *

"Hey, you sure you're okay?" Laurel asked Oliver as she exited their bathroom, drying her hair from her shower before moving over to join him in their bed.

"Yeah, I am, thanks to you. Reminding me that I'm not in this alone. A reminder I have a feeling I'm going be needing a lot in the future. I'm always gonna want to put myself in danger to protect the people I love. Especially you." Oliver said as he caressed her face with his hand.

"I know. It's one of the things I love most about you." Laurel said with a smile.

"But, at the same time, that desire to protect you guys, it can make me want to go in alone. Make it so I'm the only one who's in danger and when I do that, I forget that I'm not the only who's affected by that choice. Just like how I know that if something were to happen to any of you it would hurt me like crazy, if something happened to me." Oliver said.

"We'd react the exact same way Ollie. Love is a two way street. And if you need a reminder of that every now and then, well, I'm happy to be the one to do it. After all, till death do us part right?" Laurel reminded him.

"Hopefully not for a very long time though." Oliver said.

"And the best way to make sure that it isn't for a long time. Don't go in alone. Ollie, you're the strongest person I've ever met. But forget, this team, this family we have, we make each other stronger. That includes you." Laurel said as Oliver smiled.

"I know. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Oliver said as he kissed her and Laurel smiled as she kissed him back.


	81. Chapter 81

**Just to clear up any confusion, no I have not forgotten about Emiko. But given what was shown in Arrow episode 7x15, I think I'm going to hold off on bringing her in until after the end of season 7 so I can see where exactly her allegiance lies, so I can better get a view on her character. Also, episode 7x15 is my favorite episode byfar. If Arrow hadn't redeemed itself in my eyes already it has now. I won't say anything else to ruin the episode for those who haven't seen it yet, but it was awesome! Also, this chapter will contain one or two surprising twists.**

* * *

"So, what's our real plan for going after this killer?" Thea asked when they all gathered the base.

"Well, now that I'm thinking clearly, Laurel, you do not have the pull yet to take evidence from active police investigation. Sara however." Oliver said.

"My FBI cover means I do. I'll talk to Alex, see if she can help me out with that, but eventually we're going to have to stop using Argus resources, since technically, Alex could lose her job." Sara pointed out.

"I know." Oliver said.

"You know Ollie, this would be easier if we had an actual cop on the team." Laurel said.

"No. Absolutely not. Your father is a known vigilante hater. He finds out about us, he'll turn us all in." Oliver said, though he knew that wasn't completely true. Quentin had once been one of his most trusted confidants. But for now, Quentin couldn't be trusted.

"He's coming around on our team. Recognizing that we're not criminals." Laurel said.

"Maybe so and eventually, we can consider bringing him into the fold, but for now, it's too dangerous." Oliver said.

"Point taken. I will see what Argus can do." Sara said, right as Oliver's phone buzzed.

"What's that?" Thea asked.

"Text from mom. She wants me and Laurel to come over to the mansion for dinner tonight. Says she has something important to tell us." Oliver said.

"Huh, I wonder it is?" Thea said.

"Guess we'll find out because we will definitely be there. Ever since you guys cleared the air with Moira, she's honestly been a lot easier to be around." Laurel said.

"I wonder why your mom inviting Laurel, but not me?" Roy asked.

"Probably because Laurel is Oliver's fiance while you're just my boyfriend." Thea said.

"Just, really?" Roy asked, giving her a hard time.

"Hey, we could just be friends." Thea said and Oliver couldn't resist a chuckle, since he knew from experience that Thea wouldn't last a week like that, since it was clear that she was just as head over heels in love with Roy as ever.

"Something funny Ollie?" Laurel asked.

"It's nothing, I just think it's funny that Thea actually thinks that's possible." Oliver said and now Sara was chuckling to.

"He's got a point Thea. So, sounds like we have the night off then?" Sara asked.

"Yep." Oliver said.

"Good, in that case, I'm gonna take Alex out for a romantic date and butter her up a bit before I ask her for yet another favor. I'm honestly surprised that she hasn't had me start cashing these favors in by doing some actual Argus work." Sara said.

"Probably because she knows that if she does, she can't see you as often and she risks getting you killed and it being her fault. You've got her whipped Sara." Laurel said with a smile.

"This doesn't leave this building, but sometimes I think it's other way around." Sara said.

"Your secret is safe with us." Oliver assured her.

* * *

That night, Oliver and Laurel were at the Queen Mansion for dinner.

"Thank you for joining us tonight." Moira said with a smile, since ever since they'd come clean about all the secrets, her relationship with both of her children had improved drastically.

"Well, you said you had a big announcement to make, so here we are." Oliver said with a smile.

"Yes well, I suppose since you're all here, now is as a good time as any to tell you." Walter said.

"Tell us what?" Thea asked.

"I'm pregnant." Moira said, much to their shock.

"Wait, what?" Oliver asked as Thea and Laurel both jumped up and rushed to Moira.

"I'm pregnant Oliver." Moira said.

"Congratulations mom." Thea said.

"Oliver, are you okay?" Walter asked, since Oliver looked a little shocked.

"Yeah sorry, it's just, this was not what I was expecting when I came here tonight." Oliver said and Moira smiled.

"Well, we weren't exactly planning on having a baby, but we couldn't be happier. After all Oliver, Thea, I love you both so much, but let's face it, I made a lot of mistakes when I raising you." Moira said.

"True, but I think we both turned out alright despite that." Oliver said and Thea nodded her agreement.

"Yes and I could not prouder of the people you both have become, but now, I have a chance to be a much better mother. No more lies or secrets. Even well intentioned ones." Moira said.

"Well, looks like we may have to move up our wedding date to before you start showing since I am not waiting an extra 9 months to marry you Oliver. No offense Moira." Laurel said and Moira laughed.

"I wouldn't let you anyways Laurel. I've been waiting for you and Oliver to get married ever since you two first got back together. You're not changing anything about your wedding. Hopefully, Walter and I will have gone public about this news by then." Moira said.

"Well, I think I'm going to start looking for my own place." Thea said out of the blue.

"Not that it isn't a bit of a relief that you're leaving the nest Thea, but why?" Moira asked.

"Because mom while I love you and Walter and you have my full support, I don't feel like trying to sleep through a crying baby right now." Thea said and both Moira and Walter smiled.

"We'll help you start looking tomorrow." Walter said.

"Thank you." Thea said as she hugged her mother and stepfather.


	82. Chapter 82

"Not that I don't enjoy it when you take me out to dinner, but usually when you do, it's because you need a favor from me." Alex said to Sara as they sat at dinner.

"What, can't I treat my girlfriend to a nice dinner every once and awhile?" Sara asked, only to have Alex raise an eyebrow at her.

"Okay fine, you no doubt heard about the new cop killer in Star City?" Sara asked.

"The one who uses weapons as old as the ones you guys use, yeah." Alex said.

"Very funny Alex. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Anyways, Oliver wants to get his hands on the throwing star the SCPD recovered, but Laurel does not yet have the pull in the mayor's office to get her hands on it. I was hoping there was some way I can use my Argus or FBI cover to get my hands on it." Sara said.

"I'm sorry Sara, but I've already stuck out my neck in that regard already with Church and he had federal warrants out for him. This new guy doesn't. Until he does, this is an internal matter for the Star City police. If you're not bringing your father into the fold, then I recommend putting a member of your team in the police force. I really wish I could help you Sara, but my hands are tied this time." Alex said and Sara nodded.

"It's okay. That's actually some good advice." Sara said.

"Good. Now, why don't we enjoy the rest of our evening." Alex said.

"What do you want?" Sara asked, now raising her eyebrow.

"It's something I'd rather tell you in private." Alex said and Sara nodded in understanding.

* * *

After their date, Alex and Sara returned to their new apartment, which while it wasn't nearly as large as Oliver and Laurel's penthouse, was still pretty large as it was loft.

"So, what is it?" Sara asked.

"Over the past few months, I've been investigating the Longbow Hunters, heard of them?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, they're one of the few groups the League of Assassins didn't try to mess with, I thought they were wiped out." Sara said.

"No, they are still around and they are dangerous. In fact, they actually had a mutual acquaintance of your team." Alex said.

"Who?" Sara asked.

"Ricardo Diaz. He was trying to employ them to help take your team out when he was trying to take over the city before Oliver put him down. The thing is, there's no way Diaz could've afforded to hire the Longbow hunter, they're way out of his price range. That's how I found the middle man." Alex said as she picked up her tablet and handed it to Sara.

"A painting?" Sara asked.

"The painting's name is Dante. It's being used as some kind of contact with terrorist circles." Alex said.

"How many people know about this?" Sara asked.

"Just you and me and it has to stay that way for right now." Alex said.

"Alex, why are you telling me this?" Sara asked.

"Because I need you to come overseas with me to meet with a contact of mine who might have more information to help with this. Once we know more, then we can start bringing in more outside help." Alex said.

"When do we leave?" Sara asked immediately.

"A few days. As far as anyone is concerned, we're just using some unused vacation time for a romantic holiday." Alex said.

"But instead we're going to be looking into an unknown mystery name that's connected to some of the worst terrorists on this planet. Real romantic." Sara said.

"Did I forget mention that my contact is in France?" Alex asked.

"Paris?" Sara asked.

"Where else. Who says I don't know how to do romance?" Alex said with a smile.

"Not me." Sara said as she kissed her.


	83. Chapter 83

"So, not only can Alex not help us here, but she and Sara decided to run off on a romantic holiday to Paris?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Hey, the only thing I have a problem with is that Sara's girlfriend takes her on nicer vacations then you take me on." Laurel said with a smile.

"Very funny." Oliver said.

"I think I have another solution." Roy said.

"And that is?" Oliver asked.

"As of yesterday I am now the newest recruit into the SCPD." Roy said.

"You joined the police force?" Thea asked her boyfriend.

"Yeah, I mean, we can't rely on Sara's federal agent clearance for everything, so I thought having an actual cop on the team would be beneficial." Roy said.

"You thought right. This gives us much easier means of getting access to SCPD intel and evidence without having to use much less savory forms of getting them. Just be careful Roy, we can't risk you getting caught." Oliver said.

"Don't worry, I won't." Roy assured him.

"I hope not." Oliver said.

"You didn't tell them the other reason you're getting a real job." Thea said.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not just moving out of the mansion because of Mom and Walter having a kid. Roy and I have been talking and we've decided to move in together and since like you Ollie, we don't want to be dependent on mom's money and while I'm doing pretty well with the club, Roy doesn't want to be dependent on me for money." Thea said and Oliver chuckled.

"You sure you can handle living this one Roy?" Oliver asked and Thea lightly smacked her brother.

"I asked Laurel the same thing about you." Thea said.

"It's true, she did." Laurel confirmed and Oliver rolled his eyes at that.

"Okay then, Winn, see if you can at least hack into the SCPD's surveillance feed to find Roy a window to get his hands on that star, we need to know who killed Conahan and we need to know it now." Oliver said as Laurel's phone dinged.

"Speaking of Conahan, that was my dad, I need to go meet with him and Conahan's widow. You guys keep digging and I'll let you know if I find anything on my end." Laurel said and they all nodded as she left.

"Laurel certainly seems to have stepped up as your second in command." Thea noted to Oliver.

"She was always a natural leader. Now she leads the city by day and she's the second-in-command when we protect the city at night." Oliver said, right as the computers went off.

"Or by day in this instance." Winn said as he went over to the computers.

"Winn, what is it?" Oliver asked.

"Ever since Tobias Church was taken into custody, I've been keeping tabs on the other crime gangs in the city, you know, Los Halcones, Triad, Bratva, Bertinelli's, the usual." Winn said.

"And?" Oliver asked.

"Someone is taking out members of the Bertinelli Syndicate and the boss, Frank Bertinelli is pointing fingers at the Triad." Winn said and Oliver's blood ran cold.

"So we could be looking at a gang war." Thea said.

"It's worse than that. Looks like whoever this is, they've also hit Los Halcones and even the Bratva. Whoever is doing this is trying to set all the crime gangs in this city against each other." Oliver said as he looked at more reports.

"That could kill dozens of people in this city." Thea said.

"If we're lucky. If we don't stop this, a citywide gang war could end up killing this city." Oliver said.

"What do we do?" Roy asked.

"I'm going to reach out to my contacts in the Bratva, see if I can get any more information. In the meantime, Thea, frostbite up, since you've mastered how to fly with your powers, do an aerial search of the city, Roy, get to the precinct, see if you can find any more information on the killer, Winn do the same thing here. Our lone killer takes a back seat to the possibility of a city wide gang war." Oliver said and they all nodded.

"We should let Laurel and Sara know." Thea said.

"I'll tell Laurel tonight and then we'll tell Sara when she gets back in town." Oliver said and they nodded.

* * *

On the other side of town, a masked woman entered a rather spacious penthouse to see a masked man waiting for her.

"Did you do it?" The man asked.

"Yes, but I don't understand why I needed to do it. After all, I already had a war going on between my father and the Triad." Helena Bertinelli said as she removed her mask.

"Patience. You want vengeance against your father, I want vengeance against the Green Arrow, instigating a war between every criminal organization in this city accomplishes both those goals." the man said and Helena nodded.

"Of course. Are you going to confront him though?" She asked and she could that even under his mask, he was smiling.

"Eventually, when the time is right. But for now, we will watch as he tries to stop his city from burning." the man said.

"And if he tries to come after me?" Helena asked.

"Then he will face the full wrath of Prometheus." Prometheus said and then, he removed his mask and Helena smiled as they kissed.

* * *

Sorry to be cruel, but how can I not end the chapter there. You're going to have to wait a little while longer for the identity of Prometheus, but feel free to guess now.


	84. Chapter 84

"I'm guessing you struck out with the Bratva?" Winn asked Oliver as he entered the bunker the next day.

"Pretty much. I even tried calling the Pakhan in Russia, he's an old friend, but he's stubborn. Unless we can find out who the real killer is, he's planning on sending additional forces to help deal with whoever is responsible for this." Oliver said.

"And I've been monitoring the dark web and it sounds like the Bratva aren't the only ones. The Triad is also reaching out to Asia." Winn said.

"Great." Oliver said as Thea entered.

"No luck on this end. Whoever it is, they know how to avoid detection. Also, just because I can fly doesn't mean I have Supergirl's powers." Thea said.

"Hopefully either Roy can get us something." Oliver said, though he was pretty sure he already knew who the killer was.

"He's still at work." Thea said.

"Maybe we should see if there are any members inside any of these organizations. It might be an inside job." Oliver said.

"Okay I will get on that." Winn said.

"Start with the Bertinelli's. Last time I checked, they're the only ones who are entirely based in Star City." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Okay, I think you might be onto something." Winn said as he brought up an image of Helena Bertinelli.

"Helena Bertinelli?" The a asked.

"Yep. According to this, her fiance Michael Stanton was killed by her father's enforcer. Sounds like she might want payback." Winn said.

"And in doing so, she could end up destroying the whole city by pitting all the crime gangs against each other. There's no way she's doing this alone." Oliver said.

"So, we find her and her accomplices." Thea said.

"Exactly. I'm going to go bring Laurel up to speed on this, see if she can help us narrow down the search." Oliver said.

* * *

"So, you think that Helena Bertinelli is stirring up a mob war just to get revenge on her father?" Laurel asked.

"I know, it sounds far-fetched." Oliver said.

"Extremely, but then again, some girls like to go to extreme lengths to piss off their fathers. Why do you think I started dating you." Laurel said.

"So do you not want to get married then?" Oliver asked her jokingly.

"Very funny Ollie. Look, right now, this is just a baseless accusation. You get something with a little substance, actual proof and then the SCPD can react." Laurel said.

"Got it. I will see what I can dig up." Oliver said, already knowing where to start.

* * *

"So, what did Laurel say?" Roy asked.

"She said that we need something more concrete before the SCPD can do anything. Winn, can you please start looking into Helena's financial records. You find something suspicious then Roy can get a warrant for the SCPD to begin looking into her." Oliver said.

"On it. I just wish I could figure out how to track Helena." Winn said.

"I'll check to see if Lyla will let us use the Argus satellites to help with that." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Huh, that's interesting." Winn said as he quickly accessed the records.

"What?" Roy asked.

"It seems that Helena Bertinelli is making monthly payments on a storage locker in the Glades. Now why would the daughter of a rich mob boss go there?" Winn asked.

"Because it's somewhere no one would think to look for her. I'll get a warrant to search it. Fortunately, the mayor is an old friend." Roy said and Oliver chuckled.

"I'll let Laurel know to be ready if need be, but since the SCPD have been trying to put Frank Bertinelli away for years, I think that any opportunity to take him down a peg will be taken." Oliver said.

"I'll see you guys later." Roy said as he walked out.

"Roy's only been on the force a few days, but he's really taking to it." Thea said.

"He's a hero. Now he has a chance to be one in the light of day." Oliver said.

"You think you'll ever do that?" Thea asked and Oliver chuckled.

"Speedy, I've never been one to follow the rules, even before I was a vigilante. I'm pretty sure that me joining the police force would be a mockery of the entire justice system." Oliver said and Thea laughed at that.


	85. Chapter 85

After Roy got a warrant, he and Quentin were checking out the storage locker.

"I have to admit rookie, for a new recruit, you like to aim big." Quentin said.

"Well, I grew up in the glades, which we both know will get hit the hardest if a gang war breaks out. I'm trying to stop a lot of people from getting killed." Roy said.

"Well, it looks like I got one cop I know I can trust." Quentin said.

"Let's not go that far." Roy said and Quentin nodded as they opened the locker up.

"Well, I'd say this all the proof we need to put out an APB on Ms. Bertinelli." Quentin said as they saw the locker was full of evidence regarding all the hits that gone down lately.

"Yep, since it looks like she's going after her father, normally I'd say more power to her, but the way she's doing it, she's gonna drag the whole city down to hell with her." Roy said.

"Agreed. We need to find her before she does something that actually does set off a mob war." Quentin said.

"Let's get back to the precinct." Roy said and Quentin nodded.

* * *

"So, now we've got proof that Helena is trying to instigate a mob war." Laurel said as she brought the rest of the team up to speed in the bunker.

"Yeah, now we just need to find her and whoever she's working with." Oliver said.

"We will. Helena can't hide now that the whole city is looking for her." Roy said.

"And I am tapped into the SCPD hotline. Any tips they get on Helena we'll know." Winn said.

"Lyla gave us access to the Argus Blackhawk satellites. See if you can use those to interface with any sightings of Helena that are reported to find her." Oliver said.

"Copy that." Winn said.

"Too bad we can't track him any quicker way." Thea said.

"I'm talking to mom and Walter about launching a Queen Consolidated satellite, since after all, Star Labs has their own satellite, so they don't have to rely on government satellites." Oliver said, since that was one he'd always found gave Team Flash a bit more of an advantage over his own team.

"Not a bad idea. We could say that it's to help further space exploration, since I know QC has been trying to break into the field for years." Thea said and Oliver looked over at her.

"I didn't know you were so business savvy." Oliver said.

"After you and Dad went down on the Gambit and we thought you were dead and once mom stopped grieving, she sort of started trying to groom me to takeover Queen Consolidated." Thea said.

"Well maybe you should genuinely consider it. After all Thea, there was one thing you've always been good at getting people to what you want them to do." Oliver said, since Thea had been very sneaky as a kid and very manipulative.

"He's not wrong Thea." Laurel said and Thea laughed.

"Look, I running a club, but million dollar company, I don't know." Thea said.

"Look, no one is saying you should do it, just keep an open mind about it." Oliver said.

"I'll think about it." Thea said and after hearing what Oliver had said and wondering if maybe he was right.

* * *

Helena looked out the window of the penthouse she and Prometheus were using to hide out.

"We have a problem. I was sloppy and now the cops are searching for me." Helena said to Prometheus.

"Don't worry yourself about it, everything is going according to my plan." Prometheus said.

"What, you wanted me to get arrested?" Helena asked.

"Don't worry about it. I promise, when all this over, the Green Arrow will be ours and then we can finally leave." Prometheus said.

"What did this guy do to you in the first place?" Helena asked.

"He killed my father. But while I honestly am not shedding many tears over that, my master wants him to pay and he will truly suffer if he is not only dead, but he dies after seeing his mission in failure." Prometheus said.

"Are you sure this is best way?" Helena asked.

"The only way to make a hero pay is destroy what they've set out to accomplish." Prometheus said and Helena sighed, knowing better than to argue with him.


	86. Chapter 86

To say Oliver was surprised when a breach opened out of nowhere in his lair and Barry and Cisco jumped out of it.

"Barry, is there something we can help you with?" Oliver asked.

"Actually no, we're in between big bads right now. We're actually here for star labs, not vigilante business. We only came by because since we were here, we were wondering if you needed our help?" Barry asked.

"Actually, I could use Cisco's help vibing the location of Helena Bertinelli." Oliver said.

"You got something I can vibe off of?" Cisco asked.

"I'll ask Roy to see if he can get us something from Helena's storage locker." Oliver said and Cisco nodded.

"Where's everyone else?" Barry asked.

"They're all at work." Oliver said.

"So, are you planning on living off your parents and your fiance then?" Cisco asked with a smile.

"Don't make me revoke your invite to the wedding. By the way Barry, I want you to be a groomsman." Oliver said.

"I'd be honored." Barry said immediately.

"Great, but anyways, to answer your question Cisco, no, I am not. I'm working on becoming a private investigator." Oliver said.

"Nice." Barry said.

"So, who you planning on recruiting to work for Star Labs?" Oliver asked.

"Well for one thing, the real Harrison Wells had a daughter before Thawne killed him, Jesse, Cisco tracked her here." Barry said.

"So you're planning on offering her a job?" Oliver asked.

"Yep and not only her." Cisco said as he and Barry exchanged awkward looks.

"Who else?" Oliver asked, wondering why they were being so nervous about this.

"Felicity Smoak." Barry said, much to Oliver's surprise.

"You're headhunting Felicity from QC?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver, you know better than anyone that Felicity's talents are being wasted as just an IT girl and besides, thanks to Winn, it's not like you need her here in Star City. I'm going to be offering her a position as the head of Star Labs Cyber security division, meaning development and that stuff. Something that is a much better use of her talents." Barry said and Oliver smiled.

"Relax Barry, a part of me will always care about Felicity, just like I'm sure a part of you will always care about Iris, but we've both changed and I think that this reality was a gift, since it helped both of us realize who we were meant to be with. I'm much happier with Laurel then I ever was with Felicity and you seem a lot happier with Kara." Oliver said.

"So, you don't have a problem with us trying to get Felicity to move to Central City?" Cisco asked.

"You said it yourself Barry, Felicity's talents are being wasted here and I think she'd make a real asset to your team." Oliver said, right as Laurel entered with Roy and Winn.

"Barry, Cisco, what brings you two here?" Laurel asked.

"Some business regarding and Star Labs and while we were here we wanted to see if we could help you guys out with anything." Barry said.

"Now I know why you wanted this." Roy said as he held out a glove to Cisco, who immediately began vibing off it.

After a few minutes, he finished.

"Well?" Oliver asked.

"I saw a penthouse. Helena was standing there with a man in some kind of dark version of your suit Oliver." Cisco, confirming that while it was a different man in the suit, it was still Prometheus they were dealing with.

"Did you get any details on where they are?" Laurel asked.

"I saw the Merlyn Global building in the background." Cisco said as he began listing off more details that Winn began plugging into his search algorithm.

"Well Winn?" Oliver asked.

"Thanks to Cisco's add info, I got a location." Winn said.

"Thanks for your help, but we can take it from here." Oliver said.

"No problem man. We'll see you guys at the wedding." Barry said.

"See you then." Laurel said with a smile, since the wedding was drawing closer every day and she and Oliver had finally finished the last details last night. Now all that remained were things like picking out her dress and that sort of stuff.

"We'll leave you guys to it." Barry said as Cisco opened another breach and they left through it.


	87. Chapter 87

**In my defense, when I wrote that last author's note, I'd forgotten that I'd already included a part revealing Tommy's identity earlier on in this story.**

* * *

"So, what's the big deal that required us to get here so quickly?" Thea asked as she entered the lair.

"We've got a location on Helena and her partner." Oliver said.

"We gonna wait until Sara gets back?" Thea asked.

"We don't know how long that'll be, since let's face it, her romantic holiday is probably a cover for some kind of Argus op, since she is technically an Argus agent." Oliver said.

"Still can't believe my little sister, who was surprisingly rebellious, even for a teenage girl, is working for a government organization." Laurel said and Oliver rolled his eyes, though he honestly agreed with that. Sara was even bigger punk then he'd been, even in the old reality, she'd always preferred to work outside the system. It was one of the reasons she was such a good vigilante.

"Anyways, we can't risk waiting for her to get back, by that time, we could lose her." Oliver said.

"So what's the plan?" Roy asked.

"We go after Helena first, see if we can get some intel our adversary so we can be better prepared to deal with him." Oliver said

"And what if he's there when we go after her?" Laurel asked.

"Then I'll deal with him while you three focus on getting her out." Oliver said.

"Why will it only be you?" Roy asked.

"Because I have more combat training than the three of you put together." Oliver said bluntly.

"Fair enough." Thea said and Laurel and Roy nodded.

"Besides, we need to keep Helena from the public eye until we get what we need from her. Then, we'll drop her off at the SCPD." Oliver said and they all nodded.

"So, we suiting up?" Roy asked.

"Yep, we head out now, then Winn can use our suits' bodycams to determine when Helena is in there." Oliver said as the 4 of them went to suit up.

* * *

Helena Bertinelli was reclining on the couch of the penthouse she was sharing with Prometheus when suddenly, a loud scream shattered the windows after which, Team Arrow entered the penthouse.

"Helena Bertinelli, you have failed this city." Green Arrow said as he aimed an arrow at her.

"No, you have. You claim to be trying to help this city when you let men like my walk freely. He deserves to burn." Helena said.

"And does the city deserve to burn with him?" Arsenal asked as he also raised an arrow at her while Frostbite began to emit icy steam from her hands and Black Canary held out her tonfas.

"Frankly, that seemed like overkill to me, but my partner wanted to defeat you by making you fail your mission." Helena said.

"And where is your partner anyways?" Green Arrow demanded and Helena smirked.

"Closer than you think." Helena said as he just barely managed to dodge a throwing star and turned to see none other than Prometheus standing above them in the rafters.

"Green Arrow, I've been waiting for a chance to meet you. Face to face." Prometheus said as he jumped down to their level.

"And what do we call you Mr. Throwing Star Killer?" Frostbite asked.

"Call me Prometheus." Prometheus said.

"Get Helena out of here now. I'll deal with him." Green Arrow growled.

"I'm not going quietly." Helena said as she pressed a button and suddenly, Frostbite changed back to Thea.

"What's going on?" Thea asked as she tried to change back, but couldn't, but she was grateful Oliver had insisted she started wearing a mask for exactly this situation, though her hair had turned back to it's light brown shade and her eyes had gone from silver back to green.

"Wait, Canary, try your cry." Green Arrow asked and Black Canary nodded, but just like Frostbite, nothing happened.

"This entire penthouse is equipped with power dampening tech. Didn't think we'd make it that easy did you?" Prometheus asked.

"Winn, help Frostbite and Canary take out the power dampeners. Arsenal, deal with Helena, Prometheus is mine." Green Arrow growled and they all nodded as they broke off and the fight began.


	88. Chapter 88

Green Arrow and Prometheus were locked in combat, bow on blade, but Green Arrow was quickly gaining momentum in the fight.

"Who are you?" Green Arrow demanded as he pressed Prometheus up against a wall.

"I am simply an instrument of justice." Prometheus said as he pushed Green Arrow away and lunged forward.

"What do you mean?" Green Arrow asked.

"You crossed a line and now you will pay for it." Prometheus said and now Green Arrow noticed how robotic this man sounded. It almost sounded like he had when he'd pretended to be mind controlled by Ra's al Ghul and that's when it hit him.

"You were sent by Ra's al Ghul weren't you?" Green Arrow demanded and Prometheus smiled under his mask.

"So, you finally figured it out. You were offered the chance to serve greatness under Ra's al Ghul, but you rejected him. Now you are paying the price." Prometheus said.

"The league is for those who have nothing and wish a fresh start. I have to much to lose by joining them and I wasn't willing to give it up." Green Arrow said.

"Then I after I destroy your city, I will destroy everything you love. And everyone. I will break you and force you to submit to Ra's al Ghul." Prometheus said and Green Arrow's vision went red.

Green Arrow roared in anger and he punched Prometheus in the face with his bow and sent him crashing in the wall, denting it.

"Never threaten the ones I love." Green Arrow growled.

"It's too late. For even if you kill me, you'll still end up losing." Prometheus said.

"What?" Green Arrow asked as he fired another arrow and Prometheus braced himself for death, but to his surprise, the arrow split into a cable arrow and tied him up.

"I want to see your face before I do anything else." Green Arrow said as he pulled down the hood and removed Prometheus's mask, only to recoil back in horror at the face he saw.

"Tommy?" Green Arrow asked.

"So, you see my face. Only fair I see yours." Tommy said cruelly as Arsenal brought Helena to her knees.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Arsenal asked, already knowing what was going on in Green Arrow's head.

"Knock her out." Green Arrow said and Arsenal nodded as he hit Helena with tranq arrow, rendering her unconscious.

"What was that for?" Tommy asked.

"Because I didn't want her to see this." Green Arrow said as he lowered his hood and removed his own mask.

"Oliver." Tommy asked.

"It's me Tommy. I'm the Green Arrow." Oliver said.

"I should've known." Tommy said.

"What happened to you. Last time I checked, being a homicidal maniac was your father, not you." Oliver said.

"People change Ollie. You should know that better than anyone. And you don't deserve to mention my father after you killed him." Tommy said.

"I didn't kill your father. I simply handed him over to Ra's to face league justice. There's a difference." Oliver said.

"Do you sleep better at night telling yourself that?" Tommy asked.

"Ra's inducted you into the League didn't he?" Oliver guessed.

"Pretty much. I was reborn as Prometheus and he taught me everything I needed to know to defeat you." Tommy said.

"Obviously he didn't teach you enough. Like to know when you've been brainwashed." Oliver said.

"All Ra's did was open my eyes." Tommy said and Oliver knew that unlike him, Tommy hadn't been strong enough to resist the League's brainwashing, which meant that he'd have to employ a different means of breaking the mind control on Tommy.

"What's the plan boss?" Arsenal asked.

"We get them both back to the bunker and then we deal with them further." Oliver said as he put his hood and mask back on and proceeded to tranq Tommy as well.


	89. Chapter 89

After placing both Tommy and Helena in the bunker's holding cells, Team Arrow gathered in the center of the bunker, trying to figure out what to do.

"I can't believe that Tommy would actually become just like his father. He's always wanted to prove that he's nothing like Malcolm." Laurel said, still not believing that one of her oldest friends was cold blooded killer.

"The League must've recruited Tommy shortly after he left town. Ra's must've mind controlled him to turn Tommy into the perfect weapon to use against me." Oliver said.

"But you two were allies. Why would he want a weapon to use against you?" Roy asked.

"Because while we were dealing with Darhk, Ra's tried to get me to join the League, I refused. I'm guessing this is his way of telling me that's not an option." Oliver said.

"So what do we do?" Thea asked as she looked at the surveillance of the man who was like a second brother to her.

"First, we free Tommy from Ra's control. Then we take the fight to Ra's himself." Oliver said.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Laurel asked.

"He's never going to stop coming for me until he's stopped." Oliver said.

"He's right." Sara said as she joined them.

"Hey, how was your trip?" Laurel asked her sister.

"It was fun. But now I'm glad to get back. Winn sent me all the details, which I looked over on the plane ride back here." Sara said.

"So, what's the plan for unscrambling Tommy's brain?" Thea asked.

"I'm guessing that's why you called me here?" J'onn asked as he entered the bunker.

"J'onn, thanks for coming out on such short notice." Oliver said.

"It gave me an excuse to check up on Alex after she got back in town, so you're welcome. But anyways, you were a bit vague on the phone." J'onn said as Oliver explained things to him.

"Where are they?" J'onn asked after Oliver had finished.

"Follow me." Oliver said as he led J'onn back to where they were holding Tommy and Helena, who were both still unconscious.

"Can you free his mind?" Oliver asked J'onn, who nodded.

"Yeah. I'm also going to scan Helena's mind and see if there's anything wrong with her mind." J'onn said and Oliver nodded.

"Just do it." Oliver said and J'onn nodded as his eyes glowed red for a few minutes before the glow left.

"It's done." J'onn said.

"That was fast." Oliver said.

"League mind control might be impressive, but it's no match for martian telepathy." J'onn said and Oliver nodded.

"And Helena?" Oliver asked.

"There was nothing wrong with her mind Oliver, but the grief I felt from her, the painful memories, it reminds of how I was when I first came to earth. I mourned for my people, my parents, my wife and my daughters. For so long, I let that pain consume me." J'onn said.

"But I'm guessing it doesn't anymore?" Oliver asked.

"No. Because eventually, I found a new family. The Danvers. Just like Kara, I found a peace with them. Jeremiah was the first one to ever treat me as an equal and then Alex, Eliza and Kara, they helped me find a new family. It sounds similar to what Helena is going through." J'onn said.

"Maybe. But she still committed crimes she needs to answer for. They both do." Oliver said, looking at Tommy regretfully. He'd already lost him once, but he knew that when Tommy came to, he'd want to face the music for his crimes.

J'onn nodded and said "I'm glad I could help, but I have other things to do."

"J'onn, you have more than helped enough." Oliver said.

"I'll see you at your wedding. Congratulations on that again." J'onn said, since he'd also been invited to the wedding.

"Thank you." Oliver said with a smile as J'onn walked out and he waited for Tommy and Helena to come to.


	90. Chapter 90

When Tommy came to, he found himself in the Green Arrow's bunker.

"So much for it all being a dream." Tommy groaned as Oliver walked in.

"I see you're up." Oliver said as he walked up to him.

"So, Green Arrow huh?" Tommy asked Oliver.

"Tommy, I wanted to tell you." Oliver said.

"Honestly Oliver, the only thing I want to know now is were you ever going to tell me?" Tommy asked.

"No, I wasn't." Oliver said.

"Does Laurel know?" Tommy asked.

"Yes I do." Laurel said as she joined them, still in her Black Canary outfit.

"So you told your fiance but not your best friend." Tommy said.

"Secrets and lies are what nearly destroyed my relationship with Laurel before. I wasn't gonna make the same mistake twice." Oliver said.

"Anyways, how did you get wrapped up with the League of Assassins?" Laurel asked and Oliver also looked curious.

"It was shortly after I left Star City. After you exposed my father as a homicidal maniac, I thought it would be best to get out of town before people began associating me with him. I was actually put into federal protection and relocated to White Holland. Keeping a low profile." Tommy said.

"That explains why we never got an RSVP from you about the wedding." Laurel said and Tommy and Oliver both rolled their eyes at that.

"When did the League find you?" Oliver asked.

"About a month after I moved to White Holland, I came home only to get a dart in my neck and I passed out. When I came to, I was in Nanda Parbat at Ra's feet. I thought he was going to kill me for my dad's mistakes, but instead, he offered a place in the League. I thought it would an opportunity to rebuild myself, become a stronger man. Instead, Ra's turned me into my father. He brainwashed me and wanted me to make you so desperate that you'd have no choice but to join the League." Tommy said.

"He didn't count on us having someone who could break his control over you or that I might be able to beat you in combat." Oliver said.

"I was trained by him Oliver. Ra's personally trained me." Tommy said.

"And now he's going to learn that if he has a problem with me, he should take it up with me himself. Not use my best friend to get to me." Oliver grumbled.

"What about Helena?" Laurel asked, looking at Tommy's unconscious partner.

"I shouldn't have brought her into this. She was already on a warpath due to what her father did to her fiance, I just exploited that." Tommy said.

"Sounds like both of you were victims of Ra's plans. And he's going to pay for it." Oliver said.

"Oliver, you're planning on going to Nanda Parbat aren't you." Tommy asked.

"We all are. And I'm putting Ra's down." Oliver said.

"Oliver, if you do that, the League will see you as the new Ra's and you'll get a chance to live the life you want with Laurel." Tommy said.

"What do you suggest then?" Oliver asked.

"When Ra's was training he, he struck a lot of blows with swords." Tommy said and now Oliver understood.

"What's the big deal about that?" Laurel asked as Sara joined them.

"It's old League prophecy. One who survives the blade of Ra's al Ghul shall become Ra's al Ghul." Sara said and Tommy nodded.

"I'll challenge Ra's, he was probably planning on me doing that at some point anyways." Tommy said.

"Nyssa will be pissed that she won't be able to become Ra's." Sara said.

"Who's Nyssa?" Laurel asked.

"My ex. She's Ra's daughter and she was the one who actually helped me come to terms with my own sexuality and helped me learn to control the darkness inside me." Sara said.

"Actually, Nyssa and I were friends before her father brainwashed me. It sounded like she only stayed with the League because she was hoping to impress her father. Honestly, I think if she had a way out of the League, she'd take it." Tommy said and Sara looked thoughtful.

"Either way, if you're serious about this Tommy, you shouldn't go alone. You'll need back up in case the rest of the League tries to interfere." Oliver said and Tommy nodded.

"Ollie and I should go." Sara said.

"Sounds like a good idea. Laurel, you'll lead Thea and Roy while Sara and I accompany Tommy and Helena to Nanda Parbat." Oliver said.

"Wait, Helena?" Laurel asked.

"How'd you know?" Tommy asked.

"Because every time you've glanced at her, I've seen the same look in your eyes that I've seen every time Laurel is in danger." Oliver said and now Laurel and Sara caught on.

"Oh, so you and Helena." Laurel asked.

"Love works in weird ways Laurel, you know that better than anyone." Tommy said and Laurel smiled.

"One of the perks of being mayor is that I can help fake Helena's death so the gang war will end and the SCPD will no longer be hunting for her." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"Do it. Winn can help falsify any documents." Oliver said as he finally opened the cell to let Tommy out.

"Despite everything, it is good to see you both again." Tommy said as he pulled both of his oldest friends into a hug.

"You know this means your invite to our wedding is revoked right?" Laurel asked.

"I figured as much. I'll send a gift." Tommy said and Oliver chuckled.

"Thank you and Tommy, I hope you know what you're doing." Oliver said.

"We should probably get going." Sara said.

"Be careful Ollie." Laurel said, since she knew that her boyfriend and sister had to go, but that didn't mean she was happy about it.

"Why start now?" Oliver asked as he kissed her.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he stays alive long enough to walk down the aisle." Sara promised.

"Good. But do that for yourself to, since don't forget, you're my maid of honor." Laurel said.

"Got it." Sara said as she lugged Helena over her shoulder and they headed out.


	91. Chapter 91

"My liege, Prometheus has returned and he is not alone." Sarab said to Ra's as he entered throne room.

"Excellent. I knew we could force Oliver Queen to join the League. No one says no to me." Ra's said.

"Except for me." Oliver said, getting Ra's attention as he turned to see him enter the throne room, along with Sara and Tommy.

"Well, well, I see not only did Prometheus bring you here, but he also brought Ta-er al Safar back as well." Ra's said.

"My name is Tommy Merlyn." Tommy growled and Ra's realized what that meant.

"You actually." Ra's said.

"We beat him and freed him from your control. Next time you have a problem with me, take it up with me directly." Oliver snarled.

"When you brought me here, I thought I'd get a chance to rebuild myself. You told me that I'd be making the world a better place. Not trying to kill my best friend." Tommy growled at Ra's.

"You have been reborn. The man you were when you arrived here was barely a man at all. Now you have a purpose." Ra's said.

"No, you used me to carry out your own vendetta." Tommy said.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Ra's asked.

"When you trained me, you attacked me constantly. With swords. All of which I survived." Tommy said and Ra's understood.

"He who survives the blade of Ra's al Ghul shall become Ra's al Ghul. Do you honestly wish to die so badly as to challenge me?" Ra's asked.

"I'm not the one who's going to die, but yes, I challenge you for the title of Ra's al Ghul." Tommy said and Ra's chuckled.

"You are so ignorant and foolhardy if you think you can beat me." Ra's said.

"Are you backing down from a challenge?" Oliver asked.

"I thought only a coward did that." Sara said.

"I accept your challenge." Ra's said as he got up.

* * *

After the preparations had been made, both Ra's and Tommy had removed their shirts and were each given swords.

"This is your last chance to back out now Prometheus." Ra's said.

"Never." Tommy said as the two began fighting, their blades clashing so hard and fast and the only thing anyone could really of them was the sparks that flew from them.

"This is gonna be close." Sara said, right as Oliver reacted in time to catch an arrow to stop it from hitting Tommy.

"No, that was close." Oliver said as he turned to see a League member holding up his bow.

"Wait, is Ra's trying to cheat?" Sara said as she noticed other League members starting to circle around.

"I don't know, but if so, I say we even the playing the field." Oliver said, thankful that both he and Sara were wearing their gear as he pressed a button on the bottom of his wrist, causing his bow to expand from his sleeve and Sara pulled out her collapsible batons.

"Let's do this." Sara said as they began engaging the League members, all of whom quickly learned that they were no match for the Green Arrow and White Canary.

Sara heard someone walk up behind her and whirled around in time to hold her baton up against the throat of a familiar face.

"Hello to you to." Nyssa al Ghul said.

"Nyssa, did you know this was going to happen?" Sara asked.

"I never thought my father was cheat. For all his faults, he was an honorable man. There is no honor in this." Nyssa said.

"Then help us keep the fight fair." Sara said to her ex, who looked torn a for a few minutes between her code of honor and her loyalty to her father before deciding.

"Duck." Nyssa said as Sara did so in time for to lung over her and kick an incoming assassin.

* * *

Oliver was now engaging Sarab, blade on bow.

"I thought you were an honorable man Maseo." Oliver said as he confronted his former friend.

"There is no greater honor than serving Ra's al Ghul." Sarab said as he attacked to strike Oliver, who deflected it easily.

"Even though he no longer has honor himself. He relies on cheating to win now. There is no honor in that." Oliver said.

"Maybe you could've reached Maseo, but he is gone. I am Sarab now." Sarab said.

"No, you may have forgotten who you were, but I haven't. You are Maseo Yamashiro. Loving husband of Tatsu Yamashiro and father of Akio Yamashiro." Oliver said as he attempted to both fight Maseo and reason with him.

"Not anymore, you know that. Maseo died when Akio did." Sarab snarled as Oliver caught his blade with his bow.

"Akio would ashamed of you if he could see you right now." Oliver said and Sarab roared in outrage.

"Don't you dare play that card with me Oliver." Sarab said.

"Think Maseo. You were a good man once who only wanted to protect his family." Oliver insisted.

"I am not Maseo anymore. I am Sarab." Sarab shouted as he again tried to kill Oliver.

"Akio is only truly dead if you allow yourself to forget him." Oliver said and that actually got Maseo to stop.

"I have never forgotten my son." Sarab said.

"Maseo's son. You said it yourself. You're not Maseo anymore. You never realized that even Akio is gone, he will live on through you and Tatsu. But you've forgotten him when you forgot yourself. I've kept in touch with Tatsu and while she has moved on, she also still treasures Akio in her heart. And you. She misses you Maseo. The man you were." Oliver said as he saw he was beginning to get through to Maseo.

"I destroyed my family Oliver. Akio is dead because of me and when Tatsu needed me the most, I abandoned her. I was a coward." Maseo said.

"Then don't be a coward now. You know this is wrong. So help us and then make things right with Tatsu." Oliver said before returning to the fight and leaving Maseo to think.


	92. Chapter 92

"So, you're willing to cheat to beat me. What happened to your honor?" Tommy demanded as he continued fighting Ra's while Oliver, Sara and Nyssa kept the League from interfering.

"The only true honor comes from victory. No matter the cost." Ra's said.

"I can't believe I ever respected you." Tommy said as their swords kept clashing together, both warriors equal in skill, since Tommy had learned an incredible amount in such a short time.

"I do not care if you respected me. You swore to serve me." Ra's said.

"And you aren't worthy of any of it." Tommy shouted as he swerved in time to knock Ra's blade out of his hand, grabbed it and held it, crossed with his own, at Ra's throat.

"Yield." Tommy shouted, causing all the fighting to stop as all eyes turned to see the two.

"Never." Ra's said.

"The League has seen your weakness father. They will follow you now." Nyssa said, disgusted that she called this man her father.

"I will never yield." Ra's said as he moved to take back his weapon, only to have Tommy use it to remove his hand.

"Last chance Ra's. Yield." Tommy said.

"The only way to stop me is to end me." Ra's said.

"So be it." Tommy said and with one quick stroke, he shoved his sword through Ra's chest, causing the former Demon to fall to the ground, dead. Tommy then leaned down and pulled the demon's head ring off Ra's finger and slid it on to his own.

"Kneel before the new Ra's al Ghul." Tommy said as he turned to face the League, who quickly did so.

Tommy smiled at Nyssa as he gestured for her to rise.

"Nyssa, you were always a loyal friend and unlike your father, you have a sense of honor." Tommy said.

"Thank you. Although you should also be thanking Sara, since she is the one who taught me not to just blindly obey him." Nyssa said.

"Nyssa, the demon's head ring is your birthright. If you want it, I will give it to you." Tommy said, but Nyssa shook her head.

"No. I only wanted the ring because I was hoping that doing so would finally earn me my father's approval. Now I see that not only would I never get it, but I don't truly seek it. Not anymore. He was a man without honor. Besides, you won the ring from him in combat. By league law, you are now Ra's al Ghul." Nyssa said and Tommy nodded.

"Then I will still offer you a choice. You can either remain with the league and serve as an advisor to me, since I have a lot to learn about running the league, since I do plan on making changes to it, or I can release you from your obligation to it." Tommy said.

"I once had reason to leave the League, but that reason no longer exists." Nyssa said as she looked over at Sara, who just smiled awkwardly at her, knowing she was the reason Nyssa was talking about.

"So you want to stay?" Tommy asked.

"Indeed. However, I will be leaving for a short time to seek out my sister Talia. She will not be quite as happy that you killed our father." Nyssa said.

"Nyssa, let me know when you find Talia. She was my teacher once, maybe I can reason with her without things getting too messy." Oliver said, since he and Talia had solved their issues back when he was locked up in Slabside. He had no intention of making an enemy out of her again.

Nyssa nodded at him.

"What about the rest of these traitors?" Sara asked, referring to Maseo and the others.

"I will give them a chance to prove both their loyalty and their honor to me." Tommy said.

"We live to serve you Ra's al Ghul." one of the other league members said as Maseo came forward.

"Actually my liege, I would request that you release me." Maseo said, much to all their surprise.

"What?" Tommy asked.

"You were right Oliver. I made a mistake when I left Tatsu back in Hong Kong. This whole I've been with the League, I told myself I was becoming a new man, but I was lying to myself. All I was doing was running from the truth that I was coward who destroyed my family. It took Oliver forcing me to confront that truth to make me realize it. So, if you'll release me, I'd like to try and make things right with her." Maseo said and Tommy smiled.

"Sarab, I realize you. You may reclaim your previous name and your past life." Tommy said.

"Thank you." Maseo said as he turned to Oliver.

"Oliver, thank you for reminding me of what's truly important in life." Maseo said as he held out his hand to his old friend, who shook it.

"Thank me, by making things right with Tatsu. Even if she doesn't take you back, at least clear the air with her." Oliver said and Maseo nodded as he walked out.

"I guess this is it." Tommy said as he walked over to Oliver, who smiled.

"Who would've thought 6 years ago that you'd become the leader of the League of Assassins and I'd become a vigilante protecting Star City?" Oliver asked with a chuckle, which Tommy shared.

"I'm really going to miss you Ollie." Tommy said and Oliver smiled.

"I'll miss you to. But Tommy, I think this was always meant to be your purpose. To lead the League to a brighter future." Oliver said and Tommy smiled.

"Thank you. Will you do me a favor and leave Helena here?" Tommy asked.

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" Helena asked as she entered the room.

"About time you came to." Sara said.

"So, Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow." Helena said, taking in Oliver's attire.

"Yes. And Helena, my team and I will take down your father, but not by starting a mob war. That wasn't the way." Oliver said and Helena nodded.

"Well, since I'm pretty sure I'm a wanted woman in Star City these days, might as well stick around here. Who knows, maybe you can teach me something new." Helena said to Tommy with a smile.

"You'll need a League name." Tommy said.

"How about walsiyada?" Oliver asked.

"What does it mean?" Helena asked.

"The Huntress." Oliver said.

"I like it." Helena said.

"Well, we'd better get going." Sara said and Oliver nodded.

"Tommy, remember, if you ever need us for anything, we're just a call away." Oliver said.

"Same here Ollie. You know you're my BFF right?" Tommy asked and Oliver laughed.

"Yeah, of course I do. And you're mine." Oliver as the two old friends hugged.

"Tell Laurel I said hello and I'll send a gift for your wedding." Tommy said.

"I will." Oliver said as he and Sara walked out, leaving Tommy to his new life.


	93. Chapter 93

"Hey, how was work." Oliver said to Laurel when he entered their penthouse.

"It was fine. How was your trip?" Laurel asked as she got up to greet him and kissed him.

"Productive. Tommy is the new leader of the League of Assassins." Oliver said.

"Wow. I did not see that coming." Laurel said with a smile.

"Yeah, but it was a successful trip, since at least now we don't have to worry about the league messing with us anymore. He said that he'll send us a present for the wedding." Oliver said.

"It's good thing you asked John to be your best man and not him." Laurel said and Oliver nodded as he saw papers on the table.

"What exactly are you working on now?" Oliver asked curiously.

"Trying to find a new deputy mayor, so that there's someone to cover for me while we are in Aruba." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"I still can't believe our wedding is in two weeks." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"It feels like just yesterday you proposed." Laurel said.

"Have you narrowed down any candidates?" Oliver asked.

"No, but I start interviewing people tomorrow, hopefully then I can start to narrow it down." Laurel said.

"So far Star City has flourished under your leadership." Oliver said with a smile.

"Flattery. What do you want?" Laurel asked.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future lately." Oliver said.

"What about it?" Laurel asked.

"I'm not sure this private investigator thing is actually the best idea." Oliver said.

"I thought you wanted to be a PI?" Laurel asked.

"I did, but honestly, I'm not sure if it's really the smartest career choice in the end." Oliver said.

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked.

"Well, it's not like it pays on a frequent basis. I know that between my inheritance and your salary as the mayor, money won't be a problem, but at the same time." Oliver said.

"You don't want to become dependent on either of those." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"So, any ideas on what you might do instead?" Laurel asked.

"You're probably going to think I'm kidding, but maybe actually take a role in Queen Consolidated." Oliver said, not believing with words were actually leaving his mouth as he said them.

"You're joking." Laurel said and Oliver chuckled.

"No, I'm really not. Look, I know that I once said that I never wanted anything to do with the company, but I realized that the promise I made to my father, it doesn't just mean doing what I'm doing now. Righting his wrongs also means righting the wrongs of our family and our family's company. If I take a role in the company, then I can start to make it a truly honest business, something that this city sorely lacking." Oliver said and Laurel nodded her agreement.

"You sure you want to do this?" Laurel asked.

"I think it's something I should've done a while ago. Besides, with the new baby coming, I think that Walter wouldn't mind some help, especially after my new brother or sister gets here." Oliver said.

"I just want to make sure that you're sure you want to do this." Laurel said.

"If I wasn't sure I wanted to do this, I wouldn't have even brought it up to you, since I wanted your input. After all, our relationship is an equal partnership." Oliver said.

"And yet you're still the leader of Team Arrow." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Experience and I am the one who put the team together in the first place." Oliver pointed out.

"Fair point." Laurel said with a smile.


	94. Chapter 94

**This chapter will introduce a familiar face to this story's universe and to answer the question I know several people have been asking, after watching the Arrow episode Inheritance, I think I've started to make up my mind about what sort of role Emiko will be playing in this story.**

* * *

Laurel was sitting in her office at City, relieved that she was about to do her last interview for a deputy, since she was getting tired of people who kept giving her different versions of the same old crap about why she should hire them as her deputy mayor. Among the candidates had even been her former competitors for the title of mayor, Emily Pollard and Sebastian Blood. She'd taken an extra bit of joy out of turning them away.

Anyways, her assistant paged her to tell her that her final interviewee was here.

"Send them in." Laurel said as the office door opened and a latino man walked in.

"Thank you taking the time to meet with Ms. Mayor." the man said as he held out his hand, which Laurel got up to shake.

"My pleasure, Mr.?" Laurel asked.

"Ramirez. Rene Ramirez." Rene said and Laurel nodded.

"Take a seat and we'll get started." Laurel said and Rene nodded as he sat down on the opposite side of her desk.

"So, I notice that unlike the rest of the people who've interviewed, you haven't tried to butter me up with a compliment or anything like that." Laurel said.

"You don't seem like the kind of person who appreciates that sort of thing. And considering that I'm already the underdog at this whole show, I'd rather not piss you off by doing something like that." Rene said.

"Smart move. But what do you mean you're the underdog?" Laurel asked.

"I am not the most qualified candidate for this job. I didn't go to college, I don't know much about politics and I have a wrap sheet." Rene said.

"Then why would you want this job?" Laurel asked.

"Because the only way to affect change is to start from the top." Rene said and Laurel raised an eyebrow at that.

"Care to explain?" Laurel asked.

"Like I said, I don't have the traditional background. But unlike most of those other candidates out there, I came from the Glades. I was born there and I was raised there. And I watched as the rest of this city just sat idly by while the Glades became what it is now. Or at least, until you took office. You've actually been helping the Glades. Raising money to building new houses, getting the Glades Memorial better medical supplies, starting up recreational programs for kids, you're actually trying to help the Glades, not just the rest of the city." Rene said.

"What I've never understood is why people act like the Glades is separate from Star City, because it's not. The Glades is just another part of this city and the only reason it is in its current state is because people have forgotten that. I'm trying to remind them." Laurel said.

"And I want to help." Rene said.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's a personal reason behind this?" Laurel asked.

"My wife and I used to live in the Glades with our daughter. Until my wife started doing drugs and I tried to get her out of it by moving us to one of the nicer parts of the city, but the problems of the Glades followed us when she couldn't stop and she was killed by a drug dealer. I want to help make this city a safer place for my daughter and all the children of this city to grow up in." Rene said and Laurel had to admit she was touched by that story.

"Thank you for your time." Laurel said.

"Wait, the interview is over?" Rene asked.

"I think I've learned all I need to know. I'll be in touch within the week if I decide to pick you." Laurel said as she got up and shook Rene's hand again.

"Thank you for your time." Rene said.

"Thank you for coming in. And by the way, your daughter. What's her name?" Laurel asked.

"Zoe." Rene said.

"That's a nice name. I hope she knows how lucky she is to have a dad like you." Laurel said as she showed Rene out, her choice pretty much made and she had to admit, she now had something she needed to talk to Oliver about.


	95. Chapter 95

"Oliver, please come in." Walter said as he showed his stepson into his office.

"Walter, thank you for taking the time to meet with me." Oliver said as he sat down on the opposite side of the desk.

"Of course. I have to admit, I was surprised though when I got your call." Walter said.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and especially since Laurel and I are settling down and will hopefully be able to start a family someday, I think I need a more stable job then as a nightclub owner or anything else. So, since we both know my father wanted me to take over Queen Consolidated someday and while I'm not ready to become the CEO quite yet, I think I am ready to begin taking a role in the company after all." Oliver said and Walter smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that Oliver and I know your mother will be to." Walter said.

"Speaking of mom, how is she doing with her pregnancy?" Oliver asked and Walter chuckled.

"She isn't even showing yet and she's already positive that she's fat. I swear, you and Thea are both lucky you moved out when you did." Walter said.

"I promise I won't tell mom you just said that." Oliver said and Walter smiled.

"I'd appreciate it. And to tell you the truth, you coming on board with Queen Consolidated is a bit of a relief now, since I'm not sure if you remember how your mother was when she was pregnant with Thea?" Walter asked.

"I have a few memories. I mostly remember how many times she and dad caught me trying to mail Thea away." Oliver said and they both chuckled.

"Yes, you were not happy about her being born." Walter said, since Robert had often told him about those times.

"But she grew on me and now I couldn't imagine my life without her." Oliver said and Walter nodded.

"And I hope that both you and Thea will be as welcoming to your new sibling when they're born." Walter said and Oliver smiled.

"Count on it. So anyways, when is my first day of work?" Oliver asked.

"Next monday. That should give us enough time to get an office ready for you." Walter said and Oliver nodded.

* * *

Laurel finishing up some work at her office when her phone rang.

"Mayor Lance." Laurel said as she answered without checking.

"I'm just curious, have you given any thought about what name you're going to take after we get married?" Oliver asked over the phone and Laurel immediately relaxed.

"I was thinking about hyphenating. Dinah Laurel Lance-Queen." Laurel said.

"Has a nice ring to it." Oliver said.

"So, what's this call about?" Laurel asked.

"I just got home from Queen Consolidated and I was wondering what time you thought you'd be home so I could figure out when I should start making dinner?" Oliver asked.

"I'll be here a few more hours. How were things at QC?" Laurel asked.

"Walter agreed to let me take a role in the company and I think this will be a good way to help me balance being a businessman with being, you know, the other guy." Oliver said.

"Yeah, it took me awhile to figure out how to be mayor and the other girl to, but I figured it out." Laurel said.

"I'll see you when you get home." Oliver said.

"Can't wait." Laurel said as she hung up.

* * *

When Laurel got home from work, she smiled when she saw that Oliver had put together a very romantic dinner for them.

"Ollie, you didn't have to do this." Laurel said.

"I thought tonight called for a bit of a celebration, since we are currently in between big bads, I've got a solid job set and in about a week, we're getting married." Oliver said.

"Can't wait." Laurel said with a smile as she let Oliver walk her over to the table, which had a romantic candlelit dinner waiting for them.

"So, any luck finding a new deputy mayor yet?" Oliver asked her as they ate.

"Actually, I think I may have found a candidate I like." Laurel said.

"Really, who?" Oliver asked.

"A guy from the Glades. His name is Rene Ramirez." Laurel said and Oliver had to hide his surprise. That was a name he'd certainly never expected to hear again.

"Really, why Rene?" Oliver asked.

"To be honest, he kind of reminded me of you. The way he spoke, I could tell that he actually cares about this city. And his passion for it, well, I think he might make a good addition to the team." Laurel said and Oliver silently agreed with that, since he'd honestly been surprised there hadn't been any reports of a vigilante wearing a hockey mask in the city since he'd become active, since before the reality shift, Rene had probably been the one who'd been the most eager for him to return being the Green Arrow, since it meant a chance for him to return to being Wild Dog.

"I'll look into him and if he seems like has what it takes, we'll talk to the team and put it to a vote." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"Either way, I am going to be naming him my deputy mayor." Laurel said.

"Good. It sounds like he'll make a good choice." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as they continued on with their dinner.


	96. Chapter 96

Team Arrow had just finished their last mission before Oliver and Laurel left on their honeymoon later on in the week, this mission having been taking down Frank Bertinelli. Now that they'd taken out all the big bads Oliver had faced before the reality shift, Malcolm, Slade, Ra's, Darhk, Prometheus and Diaz down, since honestly, Oliver was convinced that the only reason Cayden James came into conflict with him was because Diaz framed him for killing his son. Anyways, now Oliver had to admit, it felt weird, since from now on any big bads they faced, it felt like they'd truly be in the dark on since he didn't really know anything about them.

Anyways, as they walked in, he saw Winn had the news on covering some big press conference.

"Lots of excitement today as Galaxy One's new CEO Kevin Dale announces plans to move to relocate Galaxy One's headquarters from Metropolis to Star City." Susan Williams said over the news.

"Great, another competitor for my family's company to worry about." Oliver said and Laurel rolled her eyes.

"Oh relax, I'm sure QC will show Galaxy who's boss pretty quickly." Laurel said, right as her phone rang.

"Hello. Captain Pike, what can I do for you?" Laurel asked, concerned that the captain was calling her this late.

"Wait, what. Okay, I'm with Sara now, we'll head to the station immediately." Laurel said as she hung up.

"What's going on?" Sara asked, concerned.

"That was Captain Pike. Dad's been kidnapped." Laurel said.

"Wait, what?" Sara asked, hoping she'd misheard.

"Dad was leading a squad on a raid of the Los Halcones gang, but it sounds like another party butted in, since by the time backup arrived, the drug lords and the other cops were dead and dad was missing." Laurel said.

"Then why are we still here, we need to get to the station now." Sara said.

"Roy go with them. Consider it a police escort for the mayor and her sister and also see if you can get us any forensics to help better id this perp. Laurel, we will find your father in enough time for him to walk you down the aisle." Oliver said.

"I hope so. Because he'll be devastated if he can't." Laurel said.

"Despite the fact that he once said he'd never allow this marriage to happen." Sara said.

"Not the time. Let's go." Laurel said as she practically dragged her sister out of the bunker, since they'd already changed out of their suits and Roy was right behind them.

"I'm gonna get in touch with Alex, see if Argus can help us out with this. Winn, I don't care what you have to hack into to find Quentin, but do it." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"I'm gonna head back out on patrol, see if I can dig anything up on that end." Thea said, since she was still in her suit.

"Do it. Let us know immediately if you find anything." Oliver said and Thea nodded as she went Frostbite and headed back out.

* * *

"I wasn't sure if you'd still be here tonight." Oliver said to Alex when he entered her office at Argus.

"Well, when your girlfriend's father is abducted, you find yourself pretty busy trying to find him." Alex said.

"So Sara told you." Oliver said.

"I just got off the phone with her a few minutes ago. I've retasked Argus's black watch satellites to search for Quentin, but so far nothing yet." Alex said.

"I'm assuming my team has full access to Argus resources to track this bastard down?" Oliver asked.

"What I can spare yes, since there's only so much I can let slide. I've also tipped off Kara and Barry, since Lex Luthor is no longer an issue and since they're coming out here tomorrow for the wedding events anyways, they're helping with the search." Alex said.

"John's getting back tomorrow to. Okay Alex thank you, please let me know as soon as you find anything." Oliver said.

"Don't worry, I will." Alex assured him and Oliver nodded as he left the office.

* * *

"Ms. Mayor, I promise we're doing everything we can to find Quentin." Pike said.

"Frank please, you've known me since I was a kid, I think you can still call me Laurel." Laurel said and Pike smiled.

"Sorry, old habits." Pike said.

"So anyways, any clues on who the kidnapper was?" Laurel asked.

"I don't know, but it's clear that your father was taken for a reason. Whoever this guy is, he wanted Quentin alive." Pike said.

"I'm not sure if I should be happy about that or not." Laurel said.

"Let's be happy about it." Sara said as she rejoined them.

"Where were you?" Pike asked.

"Reaching out to some contacts of mine at the FBI. Seeing if we can use any of their resources to help find dad." Sara said.

"And?" Frank asked.

"Fortunately, my girlfriend is a pretty high ranking agent, so she's able to spare us some resources. She said she'll call if she finds anything." Sara said.

"In the meantime, I need to make a statement." Laurel said.

"Laurel, you don't have to do that now." Pike said.

"Yes I do. The city needs to know that I do not break in situations like this." Laurel said as she walked away.

"That's my sister. When things get tough, she just gets tougher." Sara said.

"Still, hell of a week for this to be happening." Pike said.

"Tell me about it. Laurel's actually considering reaching out to the Green Arrow and his team to help with this, that's how desperate she is to get dad back." Sara said, since while Laurel had never been a skeptic of the Green Arrow, the public did not know that she'd been in contact with him until now.

"I would not be opposed to that." Frank said.

"Really?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, I mean, if we knew who it was under that hood, I might consider deputizing him and his team." Frank said.

"They wear those disguises to keep their families and loved ones safe. I don't think being deputized is worth the risk to them." Sara said and Frank nodded, since he could respect that.


	97. Chapter 97

"Well, did you manage to recover anything from the police body cam footage?" Laurel asked Winn as he went through the archives of the police footage.

"Most of it happened too quickly, but the cams of one of the officers did catch something." Winn said as he pulled it up on the main bunker screen for the whole team to see.

"Wait, is that?" Sara asked as they saw a familiar mask in the building grabbing her father.

"No it can't be." Oliver said.

"Really, because it looks like Deathstroke." Laurel said.

"That's impossible. Slade is still locked up on Lian Yu." Oliver said.

"Is he?" Sara asked as she looked over at Alex, who was already on the phone.

"I think I can do one better than a phone call." Kara said as she and Barry entered the bunker.

"Barry, Kara, glad you guys are here." Oliver said.

"Sorry this is how you have to spend the last few days before your wedding." Barry said.

"We've delayed until dad is found. All the guests understood. Tommy actually said he'd send help from the League if we needed it." Laurel said.

"But anyways, Kara, what do you mean?" Alex asked before hugging her sister.

"I can fly Oliver to Lian Yu now and check on Slade. It'll be much faster." Kara said.

"And I'll do a superspeed search around the city for your dad." Barry said and Laurel nodded, right as a breach opened and Cisco and Caitlin jumped out of it.

"Iris and Ronnie will come up here tomorrow assuming nothing pops out in Central City while we're gone." Cisco said and Oliver nodded.

"This is even better. Cisco, I need you to open a breach to Lian Yu." Oliver said.

"Okay but why?" Cisco asked.

"Because I need to make sure Slade Wilson is still incarcerated there." Oliver said and Cisco nodded before opening up another breach which Oliver then went through.

* * *

Oliver was relieved when he found Slade still in his cell in the prison.

"Hey kid, what brings you back to the island?" Slade asked and Oliver was surprised by how sane he sounded. He guessed it took the mirakuru a shorter time to wear off from Slade this time around.

"I needed to make sure that you were still in lockup." Oliver said.

"Where else would I be?" Slade asked.

"There's someone running around Star City dressed just like you in full Deathstroke gear. I needed to make sure you were still here." Oliver said.

"You know, my suit was actually distributed at ASIS. Mine isn't the only one." Slade said.

"Okay, how have we had a decent conversation without you threatening to kill me? You seem different then the last time I saw you. You seem." Oliver said and Slade chuckled.

"In possession of all my marbles?" Slade asked with a chuckle and Oliver nodded.

"The mirakuru wore off a few weeks ago kid. But I still remember everything. You were right. Shado, she would've been horrified by what I'd become trying to avenge her. But I still remember it all, like it's some bad dream." Slade said.

"Trust me, it was a nightmare. But are you the man I knew on Lian Yu?" Oliver asked.

"I'm back in my right mind now and I think I actually have an idea on who my look alike is." Slade said.

"Who?" Oliver asked, though he was starting to get his suspicions.

"It's my son." Slade said.

"Joe?" Oliver asked.

"While we were on Lian Yu, the kid took after his father, went to join the Australian Intelligence Service." Slade said.

"Do you have any idea why he'd take Laurel and Sara's father?" Oliver asked.

"My best guess would in attempt to trade him for me. Though I'm not sure if Joe wants to save me or kill me." Slade said as Oliver opened his cell.

"Well then, I say we find out." Oliver said.

"What?" Slade asked.

"If it is your son out there, then you could provide us an advantage." Oliver said.

"Your friends at Argus will never agree to this." Slade said.

"They will if they find out it's to help get Quentin back." Oliver said and Slade nodded as he walked out of the cell and Oliver texted Cisco to open another breach back.

* * *

When Oliver came through the breach, everyone there was surprised by who came with him.

"What the hell are you doing here you son of a bitch?" Sara demanded.

"Sara, it's okay, he's here to help us." Oliver shouted.

"Him, help us. That's hilarious." Sara said.

"It's true Ms. Lance. Especially since I believe I know who took your father." Slade said and that immediately got Laurel to stand down.

"Who did it?" Laurel asked.

"My son Joe. I guess it's true what they say, like father, like son." Slade said.

"Makes sense. Joe might've taken Quentin in an attempt to leverage us into handing Slade over to him." Alex said.

"You can't seriously be considering it." Sara said.

"Sara, there's a big chance that Joe will want to kill me, not save me." Slade said.

"Why?" Sara asked, genuinely curious.

"Because I broke a promise to him. After the Amazo, ASIS found me and rescued me. I promised Joe I'd never leave again and the Mirakuru faded for a time. But it came back when I found out Oliver was alive and it was like a storm I couldn't control. My son saw the absolute worst side of me and now he's trying to emulate it. I would not be surprised if he's trying to carry out my plans." Slade said.

"Wait, we're still going on the assumption that this is Slade's son we're talking about. We need more of a guarantee." Barry pointed out.

"Do you have an image of Joe's current appearance?" Cisco asked.

"Hold on a second." Alex said as she used her clearance to pull up an image of Joe's ASIS file, included an image of him.

"What are you going to do?" Slade asked.

"I'm going to vibe Quentin so we can find him a lot more quickly." Cisco said.

"Use this to vibe off of?" Laurel asked as she handed Cisco something.

"What's this?" Cisco asked.

"Dad's old cop badge from before he made detective. I had it on me for when you arrived for this exact reason." Laurel said and Cisco nodded as he took it and started vibing.

"Well?" Sara asked when Cisco was done.

"Slade was right it's his son. And your dad is still alive, but he looks beaten. We need to get him to a hospital." Cisco said.

"Where is he?" Laurel asked.

"It looked like they were in a warehouse." Cisco said.

"It sounds like Joe is using the same place to hide that I did when I first arrived in Star City." Slade said.

"So, what's the plan?" Kara asked.

"Use me to gain entry so we can better determine Joe's intentions. Oliver can make it look like you're trading me for Detective Lance and then the rest of you can take it from there." Slade said.

"That actually sounds like a decent plan." Laurel said.

"And we don't have time to come up with a different one, so let's get moving. Suit up everyone." Oliver said and they all nodded as they moved to suit up.


	98. Chapter 98

"Why are you doing this to me. Why not just kill me like you did my fellow officers and those crooks?" Quentin asked Joe as he coughed up some more blood.

"Because you're the only way to get what I want." Joe said with a sneer.

"Well maybe if you told me what that is, I could be more useful." Quentin said.

"Oh, you're just my bargaining chip. Once the Green Arrow finds out I have you, he'll give me what I want." Joe said.

"And what is that?" Quentin asked.

"My father. Slade Wilson." Joe said.

"And what makes you think that the Green Arrow and his team would do anything for you." Quentin said.

"Even if the Green Arrow doesn't play well, I know his canary friends will." Joe said.

"Why would either Canary do a thing for you?" Quentin asked.

"Because they would do anything for family. Something I happen to share with them." Joe said, leaving Quentin confused until he slowly began putting the pieces together and he was honestly feeling stupid for not realizing it sooner. However, before he could give it anymore thought, he felt himself seizing up, his heart was barely beating.

At that exact moment, a breach opened up and Green Arrow, Black Canary, White Canary and Slade walked out of it, Green Arrow holding Slade with his arms behind his back.

"Is this what you want Joe?" Green Arrow shouted.

"An exchange one father for another." Joe said.

"I'll give him to you once we've gotten Lance safely out of here. After all, if there's one thing working with your father has taught me, it's that when it comes to your family, always make they pay on their side of the debt before paying up my side of it." Green Arrow demanded.

"He's all yours I'd recommend getting him to a hospital." Joe said.

"Flash, have Vibe open a breach and then get my father to the Argus medbay now." Black Canary said as she and White Canary rushed to their father's side and helped him up.

"On my way now." Flash said as a breach opened and suddenly, in a whirl of yellow lightning, Quentin and the Canaries were both gone and the breach then closed.

"Okay, you got what you wanted. Now give me what I want." Joe said.

"He's all yours." Green Arrow said as he shoved Slade in towards his son.

"Let's get out of here Joe." Slade said.

"Oh it's funny. You actually thought I was trying to rescue you. No father, for you see, you're not the only one who knows how to play a part." Joe said as he pulled out his sword and moved to strike his father down and would have, had Green Arrow not shot the sword out of his hand.

"Patricide. You really are predictable Joe." Slade said as he got up.

"What does that mean?" Joe asked as Slade easily escaped his bonds and Green Arrow handed him his sword.

"Do you honestly think I didn't expect a double cross of some kind. I knew you were angry at me Joe." Slade said.

"That's not my name anymore. My name is Kane Wolfman." Joe or rather, Kane said.

"And that name is known as the leader of the terrorist group called the Jackals." Alex said over the comms.

"Kane Wolfman, you're coming with us." Green Arrow said as he raised his bow at him.

"Not in this lifetime." Kane said.

"You're outnumbered Joe." Slade said.

"My name is Kane. And check your math." Kane said as suddenly, the Jackals entered the room.

"Hello Terminator." Nylander said.

"Nylander, I swear I'm going to kill you for this." Slade said.

"Now who's outnumbered?" Kane said smugly.

"Actually, still you." Green Arrow smirked as yet another breach opened and and Frostbite, Arsenal, Flash, Supergirl, Killer Frost, Alex, a dozen Argus agents, Vibe and to Green Arrow's surprise, Green Lantern.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here, but I'm glad you are." Green Arrow said.

"I arrived at Argus a few minutes ago and as soon as I heard what was happening, I immediately jumped on board." Green Lantern said and Green Arrow nodded.

"Looks like you're the ones who are outnumbered now." Green Arrow said.

"And outmatched.

"Oh Slade, you'll need something." Flash said in a well, flash, of lightning, Slade was now fully geared up in his own deathstroke gear.

"Nice." Deathstroke said.

"Just like old times." Green Arrow said.

"Don't get sappy on me kid." Deathstroke said.

"Enough talk. Let's do this." Kane said as the fighting begun, with him being overconfident and trying to take on his father and Green Arrow while the rest of the heroes quickly began overpowering the jackals.

Green Arrow and Deathstroke covered each other's backs as they went up against Kane and several other jackals, and even though it had been years since they'd fought on the same side, they found that the two of them were still in perfect sync.

"Face it Joe, you may be good, but you'll never beat your old man." Slade said as he knocked Kane to the ground.

"How could you fight alongside Oliver Queen after what he did to you?" Joe demanded.

"Because he's willing to fight by mine after all I did to him, which was far worse. I forgave him and it's clear to me now I made the right choice choosing to stand by him." Slade said as Green Arrow looked at his old friend and smiled as the rest of the Jackals were taken down.

"What are you going to with me now? Kill me?" Joe asked.

"No. Because despite what you think of me, I am not a monster. Not anymore." Slade said as he knocked his son out.


	99. Chapter 99

"How's Quentin doing?" Oliver asked Laurel and Sara when they returned to Argus HQ.

"Caitlin and the Argus medics are in there with him now. Hopefully he'll through." Sara said as she watched Alex painfully escort Kane past them.

"Where exactly are you putting him. I'm hoping in hell." Sara said.

"Well, not exactly hell, but it will be purgatory. Kane here will be occupying his father's old cell in Lian Yu, but with even worse living conditions then Slade had." Alex said and Sara smirked.

"You'll make his life a long living hell?" Sara asked.

"You know I will Sara. He'll pay for his crimes." Alex said.

"And what about me Director?" Slade asked, getting everyone's attention.

"Alex, before you answer that, I have something I need to say to Slade first." Sara said.

"And that is." Slade asked.

"That I'm sorry." Sara said.

"For what. You don't owe me any kind of apology." Slade said.

"Actually I do. It's my fault we even had to use the mirakuru on you, since I'm the one who tipped Ivo off to our location on the island. If I hadn't done that, we might not have had to inject with the Mirakuru and Shado might still be alive. It's my fault you went on that rampage." Sara said.

"No it isn't Sara. I take full responsibility for my own actions. I'm just lucky that Oliver here never gave up on me." Slade said.

"I don't give up on friends Slade. Even when they don't deserve it." Oliver said.

"Still Slade, you helped save my dad tonight. I'm not saying I trust you completely yet, but I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt." Sara said and Slade nodded.

"I don't deserve any of it, but thank you Sara." Slade said as he held out his hand, which Sara shook.

"Well Slade, you've earned your freedom today, but on a trial basis. I could use a man of your talents on some overseas ops if you're interested." Alex said.

"As long as there aren't any miracle drugs or islands involved, I'll consider it." Slade said and Alex nodded as she then led Kane and the other Jackals away as Caitlin came up from the medbay.

"Well?" Laurel asked concerned.

"Well, there's good news and there's bad news." Caitlin said.

"We'll take the good news first." Sara said.

"Well, the good news is that despite his injuries, both external and internal, we managed to stabilize him and after a few days of rest, he should be good enough to at least wheel you down the aisle Laurel." Caitlin said.

"So, he's paralyzed?" Sara asked.

"No, he'll recover, but right now he shouldn't strain himself by walking, I'm just talking about the immediate future, he should be back on his feet with a few months of therapy." Caitlin said.

"And the bad news?" Laurel now asked.

"While we managed to save him, he has developed a serious heart condition, which we've given him a pacemaker for, but he'll never be a detective again. If he exerts himself too much, his heart won't be able to take the strain." Caitlin said.

"So dad is now confined to desk duty. He'll love that." Sara said, knowing that her father was a man of action.

"Well, I'm not going to give him a choice about it. Besides, now I finally have an excuse to promote him to captain, since that job requires sitting behind a desk, which is the main reason dad didn't want it. Maybe now he'll accept it." Laurel said and Sara smiled as another medic entered the room.

"He's awake and he wants to talk to his daughters. Now." the medic said.

"You were going to have to tell about this eventually, you said so yourself. Looks like now you have to." Oliver said and the sisters nodded before heading into the medbay.

* * *

"Hey dad." Laurel said as she and Sara walked up to their father's bed.

"So, when exactly were you gonna tell me that both of my daughters are vigilantes?" Quentin asked.

"Did you guess by our outfits?" Sara asked, since she and Laurel were still in their suits.

"Actually, Joe Wilson sold you out." Quentin said.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you dad." Laurel said.

"I get why you didn't." Quentin said.

"You do?" Sara asked.

"Yeah I mean, considering how hard I was gunning after vigilantes, I can't blame you for not telling you were ones." Quentin said.

"Also, we were trying to protect you, but I guess tonight proves that was pointless." Laurel said.

"So, are you mad?" Sara asked.

"No. I mean at one point, yes I would've been furious, but now, I can see that both of my daughters are heroes. Just like I always knew one day you'd be." Quentin said and both of his daughters smiled at him.

"So, you won't tell anyone right?" Laurel asked.

"Your secret is safe with me, but now, I've got to know, the Green Arrow, I've had my suspicions, but is it?" Quentin asked.

"It's Oliver." Laurel confirmed.

"Huh, I could not have been more wrong about that boy. I always thought he was a no good spoiled frat boy who cared about no one but himself, but instead, he's actually the one who's fighting the hardest for our city." Quentin said.

"He's a hero. Even if he doesn't always think so himself." Laurel said.

"I'll have to give him a formal apology later." Quentin said.

"Great, but now dad, there is something else we need to talk about." Laurel said.

"And that is?" Quentin asked.

"Caitlin told us that as a result of this attack, you've developed a heart condition. You can't keep going into the field as a detective anymore, it's not safe." Laurel said.

"Laurel, are you really telling me that despite what you do?" Quentin asked.

"Dad, Laurel and I are both in perfect health. You aren't. I know you don't like the idea of being stuck behind a desk all day, but that's what's going to happen from now on." Sara said.

"So what, I'm just a desk jockey at SCPD?" Quentin asked disgruntled.

"No, now you finally have no reason not to accept the captain's badge I keep trying to give you." Laurel said.

"Huh, Captain Lance. I like that." Quentin mused.

"Great, also, speaking of jobs, dad, I don't work for the FBI." Sara said.

"Then where do you work?" Quentin asked.

"I still work for the government, just not the organization I told you. I work for a clandestine covert organization called Argus. It monitors things like metahumans and stuff like that." Sara said.

"So, you deal with aliens?" Quentin asked.

"No, that is a different top secret government organization. Argus focuses on terrestrial threats, as in originating from earth." Sara said.

"Okay then. So, what happens now?" Quentin asked.

"Well, now you take a few days to finish resting up before they let you out of here." Laurel said.

"And then what?" Quentin asked.

"And then we have a wedding to get to without even having to delay it by a day." Sara said and Laurel smiled at that.

* * *

 **Next chapter will be the one you've all be waiting for. The Lauriver Wedding!**


	100. Chapter 100

**Little side note. This is the first one of my stories to ever make it to 100 chapters, so to celebrate, I'm using such a momentous chapter to cover one of the most anticipated events in this whole franchise. And now, without further delay, I give you, Chapter 100, the Lauriver Wedding!**

* * *

The next few days went by quickly as the last of the wedding plans were finalized and the remainder of the guests arrived. In fact, in what felt like no time at all, the big day had arrived.

In order to keep with tradition and avoid adding causing any bad luck today, since if there was one thing Oliver and Laurel had both come to believe in, it was superstition, Laurel had stayed at their penthouse the night before the wedding while Oliver had crashed at the mansion and they had not seen or spoken to each other since they'd parted ways after their rehearsal dinner at the mansion the night before.

Anyways, Oliver was currently at the church they'd chosen to get married in and he'd actually been there since 6 am, since he'd been so nervous for today that he couldn't sleep, so he'd tried going for a run to try and clear his head and when that hadn't worked, he'd left a note for his parents to make sure they knew he was getting cold feet before heading to the church early to get ready.

"Man, I did not think you could even get nervous." Barry said as he sped into the room, and as of right now, they were the only ones there.

"Well surprise Barry, I do know how to get nervous and considering how nervous you were when you did this, can you blame me?" Oliver asked and Barry chuckled.

"Not at all, but Oliver you calmed me down when I was freaking out." Barry said.

"Sorry, it's just, what guy doesn't get nervous on his wedding day?" Oliver asked.

"I have yet to meet one who does." Barry said.

"I just hope that this wedding goes smoother than yours did." Oliver said.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to forget that." Barry said.

"Anyways Barry, thank you for coming here early." Oliver said.

"I had to make sure you didn't try to skip out on your fiance." Barry said.

"Very funny." Oliver said.

"But seriously man, did you even write your vows or are you going to give the same ones you gave last time." Barry asked.

"No, those vows were for Felicity and I wouldn't feel right using the same words on Laurel. But I am gonna take some advice I gave you. I'm just gonna speak honestly from my heart." Oliver said.

"Good idea. Otherwise we'd be waiting for hours just for you to get through the first page of your vows." Barry said.

"You're not wrong." Oliver agreed as the two shared a chuckle as they noticed more people starting to arrive.

* * *

Oliver wasn't the only one freaking out over the wedding. On the other side of the church in the bride's room, Laurel was in a similar state as Sara attempted to calm her down.

"Laurel relax. I've got Dig sending me updates every 5 minutes to confirm that Oliver is still here." Sara said.

"I'm sorry, it's just wedding day jitters. Sara, you know I've been looking forward to this day since, well since high school and now that it's finally here, I just want everything to go smoothly." Laurel said.

"And they will. Just relax and focus on being the happy bride." Sara said.

"Think you'll ever have to take that advice yourself?" Laurel asked.

"Maybe someday. While yes, Alex and I are getting serious, I'm not sure we're there yet. But someday, hopefully yes." Sara said and Laurel smiled as she finally began to calm down.

* * *

Oliver and Laurel had asked Martin Stein to perform their wedding and now all the guests were taking their seats in the church. On Oliver's side of the aisle sat his mother, Walter, Cisco, Caitlin, Ronnie, Felicity (boy did Oliver have to keep his surprise in check when he saw her at the rehearsal dinner the previous night), Lyla, Winn, Clarissa, Iris, James, Clark, Lois, J'onn and some of Oliver's other old friends.

On Laurel's side of the aisle sat her mother, Alex, Joanna, some of her old friends from CNRI, Rene, Kate Spencer, Adam Donner, much to Oliver's displeasure, since he remembered how that creep had nearly gotten Laurel killed before, Emily Pollard, Councilman Kullens and several other city officials.

There were some other people Oliver had wanted to invite, but he couldn't without raising questions about where he'd been the five years he was away or that he couldn't because he hadn't even become friends with them yet in this new reality).

Anyways, now Oliver was standing at the altar next to Stein as the wedding march was played and the ceremony began. First were Barry and Kara, who Laurel had asked to serve as a second bridesmaid, came down the aisle. After they'd taken their places, Roy and Thea came down next. After them came the best man and maid of honor, the roles of which being filled by Dig and Sara. Finally, once everyone else had taken their positions, all of the guests stood as and turned towards the far side of aisle as at long last, the bride came walking down the aisle, hand in hand with her father, who while he was healing, was currently in a wheelchair.

Anyways, Oliver walked down to the bottom of the altar to meet them as he took Laurel's hand from her father.

"Take good care of her son." Quentin said.

"You know I will." Oliver assured him as he led Laurel up to the top of the altar and lifted her veil while Quentin took a seat in the front row of his daughter's side of the aisle as Professor Stein began the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to bear witness as Oliver Jonas Queen and Dinah Laurel Lance become joined in holy matrimony. I know there are several people in this room alone who questioned if this day would come, to our joy, it has. Now, and I only ask this because I am required to, if there is anyone here who sees a reason as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Stein said and wisely, no one spoke up, though, Oliver, Barry, Kara and Cisco were all half expecting Nazis to storm in, but thankfully, none did.

"Oliver, will you now please recite your vows to Dinah." Stein said and Oliver nodded as he took a deep breath and began to speak from his heart.

"Laurel, you have always been the best part of me. For five years, I went through experiences that could only be described as hell and there were so many times I wanted to just give up and let myself die. But every time I felt like that, I always found myself looking in my wallet. Not for money or anything like that, but simply to look at the one thing I always made sure I held close to me. Your picture. You helped give me the strength I needed to survive and come home. And while those years were the worst ones of my life, I don't regret them. It's thanks to them that I was able to finally become the man you deserve. The man you always seemed to see me as. And I promise that I will be the best husband to you that I can and I will never stray from you again. You're my whole world and I wish I could say I couldn't imagine my life without you, because I have lived without you in my life and it was miserable. That's how I know that I never want to be without you again." Oliver said and Laurel actually had a few tears in her eyes at that.

"Now, Dinah, will you please recite your vows to Oliver." Martin said and Laurel nodded.

"Oliver, I'm pretty sure that you've caused me to feel every emotion there is regards to you. Happiness, sadness, grief, anger, a lot of anger, but the one emotion I always find myself coming back to with you is love. There have been times, even after we got back together that I wondered why I couldn't seem to stop loving you. You did so many things that I swore I could never forgive you for, and yet here I am, standing at the altar, about to marry you and now I finally realize why. Love is complicated. There are times when it doesn't make sense and those are times when you shouldn't try to make sense of it. I was once told that love is the most powerful emotion in the world and standing here today with you, right now, I finally understand why. You have always been the one true love of my life and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, that's always been true in the past and always will be true in the future. And while I don't know what our future will hold, what I do know is that as long we do it together, it will be a very bright one. I promise to always to be a kind, loving and supportive wife to you." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Please present the rings." Martin said as John and Sara both did.

"Do you Oliver Jonas Queen, take Dinah Laurel Lance to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Martin asked.

"I do." Oliver said as he took Laurel's ring from John and slid it on her right ring finger.

"And do you, Dinah Laurel Lance, take Oliver Jonas Queen to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Martin asked.

"I do." Laurel said as she took Oliver's ring from Sara and slid it on his right ring finger.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Martin said and Oliver and Laurel smiled as they shared their first kiss together as husband and wife while everyone clapped.

* * *

 **Okay and Oliver and Laurel are officially married. The wedding reception will be the next chapter and now I'm curious about something. Who do you guys want to catch the bouquet?**


	101. Chapter 101

After the ceremony, everyone began gathering outside for pictures while everything for the reception was set up inside the church. So far they'd gotten pictures of the newlywed couple, them with their families, the bridal party and the groom party and many others until they were finally told it was time for them to go back in.

"This place looks amazing." Laurel said, since despite tradition, the Queen family had insisted on paying for the entire wedding, since it's not like they couldn't afford it and they wanted to make sure that Oliver and Laurel got the day they truly deserved, so no expense had been spared. In front of the head table was a DJ and dance floor, which Oliver and Laurel immediately moved to take for their first dance as husband and wife.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please make room on the dance floor for the first dance of Mr. and Mrs. Queen." the DJ said, since Laurel had decided to just take Oliver's name instead of hyphenating, as the DJ began to play the song they'd chosen, which was Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran.

As they danced, Oliver smiled as he felt Laurel lean into him.

"So, was this day worth the wait?" Oliver whispered to her as he twirled her around.

"Absolutely. We may have had a bumpy road getting here, but I'm glad we finally made it." Laurel said as he pulled her in close.

"And nothing is going to ruin it. After all, it took me awhile, but I do know how to learn from my mistakes." Oliver said as they finished their dance and everyone clapped.

Oliver and Laurel stayed on the dance floor after their first dance and they were quickly joined by other couples. Barry and Kara, Walter and Moira, Clark and Lois, Thea and Roy, Sara and Alex, John and Lyla, since they were working out how to pull an extremely long distance relationship, and several others.

* * *

Later on, while Laurel was talking to her family and some of her other friends, Oliver found himself talking to Barry and Kara.

"Well, I don't think any of us could've imagined this happening, even after you rewrote reality." Kara said to Oliver, who chuckled.

"Tell me about it. I never thought I'd get another chance and frankly, I didn't feel like I deserved one with her. And yet, I don't know, with these changes, it feels like I have a clean slate. I'm gonna make the same mistakes I did last time." Oliver said.

"I think all three of us can agree with that. But still, I don't think any of us thought we'd be where we are today." Barry said.

"Yeah I mean, I'm married to Laurel, who honestly makes me much happier than anyone else I've been with," Oliver said and both Barry and Kara caught what he really meant by that before continued, "and I'm actually planning on taking an active role in my family's company. But honestly, I think this new reality has impacted the two of you in a much bigger way then it ever could've me." Oliver said.

"How so?" Kara asked.

"Well for one thing, by bringing our two earth's together, it allowed you both to realize that there was some kind of spark between you and Barry, you seem happier now with Kara then you ever did with Iris. Kara, I never really saw you when you dated anyone, but you definitely seem happier with Barry. Not to mention your careers. Barry, you've managed to turn Star Labs from the derelict facility it once was into a successful company, since I hear you're doing well." Oliver said.

"Yeah, it helps that Star Labs is at the forefront of the metahuman market, since we've already got contracts with both Argus and precincts all over the country to help law enforcement keep up with metas and we're even starting to help them keep up with aliens so the DEO doesn't have to do all the work." Barry said.

"And Kara, from what I hear, when you get back to Central City, you'll also be coming into some wealth as the new CEO of Catco Worldwide Media?" Oliver asked

"How did you know about that? We're not telling anyone until it happens." Kara said.

"Your new assistant is a bit of a gossip." Oliver said with a chuckle.

"That's right, Iris is going to be my assistant." Kara said, since she'd actually just realized that.

"Well, I think that we've all made the best we could've out of this new world you created and maybe this was also the universe or multiverse or whatever it is thanking us for everything we've done for it." Barry said.

"Maybe, but whatever the case, we don't know how long it'll last, how long we'll survive, so let's just enjoy the ride for now." Kara said.

"I'll drink to that." Oliver said as he held out his champagne, which Barry and Kara clinked with their own as they were told to take their seats for the slideshow presentation Oliver and Laurel's families had put together for them. The video contained photos of Oliver and Laurel starting from when they were babies and gradually moving forward throughout their lives, including both photos and videos from their lives, showing their courtship and finally ending with the last addition, which was a photo of them on their wedding day.

* * *

After the video, it was now time for the bouquet toss. All of the single or unmarried ladies gathered into the center of the room, including Thea (much to her mother's discontent), Sara, Alex, Kara, Caitlin, Felicity, Iris and several others.

Laurel smiled as she turned around and prepared to throw her bouquet. When she did, she tossed it as hard she could behind her and turned to see where it landed.

Several of the ladies were fighting to try and catch it, but in the end, it landed in Kara's hands.

"Well Barry, looks like you have to propose. Please tell me you were prepared for this possibility?" Cisco asked.

"Of course I was." Barry said as he pulled Kara aside and she looked at him expectantly.

"Why do I get the feeling you were planning for this?" Kara asked as Barry just got down on one knee and he pulled the ring he'd bought for this exact instance, though if Kara hadn't caught the bouquet, he did have a back up plan, but he wanted to be prepared.

"Because you know me. Kara Danvers, will you marry me?" Barry asked and Kara's answer was instant.

"Yes." Kara said and Barry smiled as he slid the ring onto her finger as Alex, Sara, Clark and Lois joined them.

"Congratulations. But you did ask both Kara's birth parents and her foster parents for her hand right?" Clark asked, since while once upon a time, he would've been the one Barry would've had to ask, but since Kara's actual parents were alive, they were the ones Barry needed to talk to.

"Of course. I took those precautions before we left Central City in case this happened." Barry said.

"Well, congratulations Kara." Lois said as she hugged the closest thing she had to a sister-in-law.

"Thank you Lois." Kara said as she then hugged Alex as well.

* * *

It felt like forever before the time finally came to send the newlywed on their way. A limo had pulled up in front of the church, with streamers hanging from the back.

"Well, time to get going." Oliver said and Laurel nodded with a smile as he helped her into the limo as everyone came to see them off.

"Airport please." Oliver said to the driver, who nodded as they drove off, everyone clapping behind them as they saw the limo drive away, it's back saying just married as Oliver and Laurel moved on into the next phase of their relationship.

* * *

 **Sorry for those of you who wanted other people to catch the bouquet, but Kara was the most popular request.**


	102. Chapter 102

"So, another one down." Winn said as Roy, Sara and Thea entered the bunker, though Roy was now dressed as Green Arrow to avoid drawing suspicion while Oliver and Laurel were gone on their honeymoon, though Sara was technically their leader since she'd sort of fallen into the rank of third in command after her sister and brother-in-law due to league training. Well that and Oliver secretly remembering how good a captain Sara was to the Legends.

"Yep. Vincent Steelwater is now behind bars. We caught him and now the DA gets to cook him." Roy said.

"And people still haven't figured out that it's a different guy under the green hood now?" Winn asked.

"Luckily the hood conceals my head and face enough so that no one could tell the difference and I can work a bow and arrow about as well as Oliver does." Roy said and both girls chuckled.

"Something funny?" Roy asked.

"No offense sweetie, but while you may be good, you're not that good. Oliver's in a class by himself." Thea said and Sara nodded her agreement.

"It's true. He could give all the archers in the League a run for their money." Sara agreed.

"Wow guys, really feeling the support here." Roy grumbled.

"Hey, we're just being honest. But who knows, maybe in a few more years you may get close to Ollie's level." Sara said.

"Fair enough. Let's just hope that no one else has figured out that the current Green Arrow isn't quite as skilled with a bow as the real one is." Roy said, right was Winn got their attention.

"Guys, we have another problem." Winn said.

"Of course we do. What is it?" Sara asked.

"Remind me to thank your dad for letting us patch into the department's network, because right now I'm picking up a silent alarm going off at the SCPD evidence storage warehouse." Winn said.

"A majority of the stuff in there is evidence necessary for the DA's office to convict a majority of recently brought in street vendors. It goes missing and they get off on bail." Roy said.

"Then we'd better make sure that doesn't happen." Sara said as they moved to leave again.

* * *

Daniel Brickwell smiled as he stood outside the SCPD evidence storage facility as his guys began pouring into it.

"What's the plan boss?" one of his underlings asked.

"Take as much of this evidence as you can carry and then come back for more. The more evidence we can make vanish, the more muscle we can then recruit." Brick said.

"And do we kill any cops on sight?" the same underling asked.

"No, take them alive. They may prove useful." Brick said and his minion nodded as he relayed that order over their comms.

However, before they could begin making any real moves, they all dropped to the ground and covered their ears as a sonic cry pierce the air as the Green Arrow, White Canary and Frostbite dropped down from the rafters.

"Oh goodie, I was wondering if I'd get to play with any of you." Brick said.

"Oh really. You should've tried harder to avoid it." Green Arrow said as he raised his bow at him.

"Can't take over even a part of this city with you lot running around. Now I have to ask, where's the other two? You vigilantes are very helpful being color coordinated. Right now I'm only seeing green, white and blue. Aren't you missing two colors?" Brick asked.

"We're all that's necessary to deal with you." Frostbite said.

"Really, and why's that?" Brick asked, amused.

"Because of this." Frostbite said as she ice blasted him, though he ducked in time to avoid it.

"Now this is gonna be fun." Brick said.

"I'm sorry, but what exactly are we going to call you? Mr.?" White Canary asked.

"My friends call me Brick. But we're not friends." Brick said as he and his thugs pointed guns at them.

"It's cute that you think guns are going to be enough to beat us." White Canary said.

"Who said guns were my only weapon. I find hostages are equally effective." Brick said.

"Guys, he's not joking. I'm tapped into the CCTV camera footage now and it looks like Brick is having the cops put on guard duty of this place taken hostage." Winn said over their comms.

"Guess this won't be as easy as we thought." Green Arrow said.


	103. Chapter 103

"I'll get the hostages, Canary, Frostbite, cover me." Green Arrow said.

"Copy that." Frostbite said and White Canary nodded as Green Arrow fired a cable arrow into the rafters and used it to get to the hostages while White Canary snapped her batons together into a bo staff.

"You two honestly think you're a match for us?" Brick asked.

"Well, let's find out." Frostbite said as she began ice blasting them while White Canary lunged forward and began fighting them hand to hand.

* * *

"Winn, you read me?" Green Arrow asked over the comms.

"Hey, when can I get a codename like the rest of you?" Winn asked.

"Now is not the time for this Winn, you read me or not?" Green Arrow growled.

"Okay, okay yes, sorry. You're getting close to hostages and bad news, there are a lot of thugs surrounding them." Winn said.

"And this is why I'm glad Oliver taught me to fight in the dark. Kill the lights, that should give me an advantage." Green Arrow said.

"Copy that." Winn said over the comms and a moment later, the lights in the area went out and Green Arrow grinned.

"Let's do this." Green Arrow said as he jumped down from the rafters.

"Oh, little upgrade I made to your mask, it has lens in it that work like night vision goggles. Canary and Frostbite have them to." Winn said and Green Arrow grinned.

"Copy that, how do I turn them on?" Green Arrow asked.

"There's a control on your wrist computer that should activate them." Winn said and Green Arrow nodded as he looked at his wrist computer and saw the control Winn told him about and turned it on. Immediately, lens dropped down in his mask and provided Roy with what he guessed was night vision.

"This is going to be fun." Green Arrow said as he got to work cutting through the thugs guarding the hostages.

* * *

White Canary and Frostbite had managed to force Brick to retreat and they were preparing to follow when Green Arrow came on over their comms.

"Canary, Frostbite, break off." Green Arrow said.

"What, we've got them running?" Frostbite asked.

"There are injured officers here. Some of them can't walk. I need help getting them to safety. Winn has already alerted emergency services." Green Arrow said.

"But what about Brick?" White Canary asked.

"I'll seal the warehouse up so no one can get in until the authorities arrive." Winn said over the comms.

"We'll join you as soon as we've gotten these guys out the doors." White Canary said.

"Copy that." Green Arrow said.

* * *

Later that night after the battle, Quentin entered the bunker.

"I can now why there's any corruption on the force. Everyone else has got better resources." Quentin said dryly and Sara rolled her eyes at her father.

"Very funny dad. How are those cops doing?" Sara asked.

"Well, they'll be stuck on desk duty for a few weeks while they recover, but all in all, it could've been worse, since they're still breathing after all." Quentin said.

"And the evidence warehouse. Was anything taken?" Roy asked.

"Our CSIs are still cataloging everything, but so far, nothing seems out of place." Quentin said.

"Good. And Brick?" Roy asked.

"It's an alias for Daniel Brickwell. He's a crime lord that we've been trying to put away for years." Quentin said.

"Trying. Why haven't you succeeded?" Thea asked.

"While we've got plenty of evidence on Brick, there's never been anything we could make stick. Why exactly did you let him go tonight?" Quentin asked.

"Getting the hostages to safety was our priority." Roy said simply and Quentin nodded in acceptance at that answer.

"I can live with that. I just hope you can find him before he does something too big to be ignored." Quentin said.

"It would help if we knew where to look." Winn said.

"Dad, any chance you could get us access to all this evidence you've got against Brick? Maybe we can use it to find him." Sara said.

"I'll see what I can do." Quentin said as he left.

"You okay?" Thea asked her boyfriend.

"I just can't help but think that maybe if Oliver and Laurel were here, we could've Brick tonight." Roy said.

"Oliver would've made the exact the same call as you did tonight. His priorities have always been clear. Protecting the people of this city always comes first. And the call you made tonight Roy, that was exactly what he would've done. You know, you might actually be turning into a real leader after all." Sara said.

"You think so?" Roy asked.

"I know so. But if you're still unsure, when Oliver and Laurel get back from their honeymoon next week, you can ask him yourself. I'd call now, but before they left, Oliver made it clear that anyone who interrupts their honeymoon with a work related call will be used for target practice when they get back." Sara said and Thea chuckled.

"That sounds like Ollie alright." Thea said.

"Come on. We're not gonna be any good to the city if we don't get some sleep." Roy said as they moved to leave, since they'd already changed out of their suits.


	104. Chapter 104

"Wow, when you said you had a lot of evidence against Brick, you weren't kidding." Sara said as she looked over the mountain of evidence her father had brought to the bunker.

"Yeah well, like I said, we got plenty of stuff against Brick, just nothing that we can make stick." Quentin said as they went through everything he'd brought.

"Any ideas on what we're looking for now?" Thea asked.

"Just grasping at straws, trying to see if there's any kind of connection that can lead us to where Brick is holed up. We need to find him before he makes his next move." Roy said.

"Well, I think I might have an idea." Winn said as he moved over to the computers.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked.

"Grasping at straws and I think it might have just paid off." Winn said.

"What do you mean?" Sara asked.

"What I mean is that apparently Brick hasn't gotten a new gun in twenty years, since after cross referencing the weapon used to shoot the guards outside the warehouse, it turns out the same gun was used in a shooting 20 years ago." Winn said.

"He's used the same gun for 20 years. That's either arrogance or stupidity." Roy said.

"Considering who the victim was, I'd say definitely stupidity." Winn said.

"Why, who was the victim?" Sara asked.

"Rebecca Merlyn. Brick killed Tommy's mother." Winn said.

"And in doing so, he inadvertently set everything else that's happened in this city into motion." Sara said.

"What are you talking about?" Quentin asked.

"You never told him?" Thea asked Sara.

"I didn't see any reason to until now." Sara said.

"Tell me what?" Quentin asked.

"The gambit going down was not an accident. It was sabotaged by Malcolm Merlyn. It's a long story that I will tell from the beginning so everyone understands, but can you please not interrupt me?" Sara asked and Quentin nodded, still reeling from the revelation that Merlyn had tried to kill his daughter.

"After Brick killed Rebecca Merlyn, Malcolm went into a deep depression and left for two years. He ended up in Nanda Parbat and joined the League of Assassins. When he eventually came back, he, Robert Queen and Frank Chang and a few others began trying to leverage the city's worst into doing what's best for the city. But eventually, Malcolm decided things were going too slow and he decided that the only way to save the Glades was to destroy it and start over from scratch. Robert was initially on board with the plan, but then his conscience caught up with him and he tried to not only back out, but also to sto Malcolm's plot. That's why the Gambit was going to China in the first place. But Malcolm got wind of it and put a bomb on the Gambit. It sent Oliver to Lian Yu and me to the League of Assassins. It set us onto the paths that led us to where we are today." Sara said.

"Son of a bitch. Well, at least Merlyn got what he deserved." Quentin said.

"True, but now there's another Merlyn that needs to be made aware of this." Sara said.

"Tommy." Thea said.

"He has a right to know and who knows, maybe he'll even send us some back up." Sara said.

"How would Tommy Merlyn be able to send you back up?" Quentin asked and Sara took a deep breath.

"Because Tommy is the new leader of the League of Assassins. It's a long story I'll tell you later, but he's an ally." Sara assured him.

"I hope so." Quentin said warily, not sure what to think of former playboy Tommy Merlyn being the leader of the most astonishing group of assassins in history


	105. Chapter 105

"So, how exactly are you going to tell Tommy about this. Last time I checked, the League wasn't allowed to have scouts here anymore and if what you and Ollie said was right, the League's headquarters doesn't exactly have good cell phone reception." Thea asked Sara.

"By going to Nanda Parbat and telling him in person. In the meantime, you two need to keep an eye on the city. We've gotten lucky so far, but once Brick realizes that there are only two vigilantes, since no one knows that we've got tech support, left in this city, with Oliver and Laurel on their honeymoon and me heading to Nanda Parbat, it'll only be a matter of time before the floodgates open. We need to make sure that doesn't happen." Sara said.

"We'll keep the lights on for you, but please try and hurry back and see if you can bring some back up with you." Thea said and Sara nodded as she headed out.

* * *

Thanks to the Argus jet Alex had let her borrow, Sara made it to Nanda Parbat in about two days, since she'd actually started getting flight training for Argus.

Anyways, when she entered the League's fortress, Sara was surprised by how much it had changed. While it still had the same sense of dreadful decor, the place looked as though it had been modernized a bit.

"Sara." Tommy said as he came up to join her.

"Tommy, not that it's not good to see you, but this place seems a bit different than it did the last time I was here." Sara said and Tommy smiled.

"Yeah well, one of the perks of being Ra's al Ghul is that I've been trying to modernize the League a bit. Bring it into the 21st century. Or at least the 20th century. Would you like a tour?" Tommy asked.

"Thanks, but that's not why I'm here." Sara said.

"Okay then, so why are you here? I thought you made it pretty clear that after last time, you were done with the League and even with Oliver and Laurel out of the city, you should be able to handle things without the League's help, especially since I thought we weren't welcome in Star City anymore." Tommy said with a teasing grin that Sara couldn't resist chuckling at, despite the circumstances.

"That was under the regime of your predecessor. But I'm here because of something our latest investigation has brought up." Sara said.

"Okay and why did you need to tell me about it?" Tommy asked.

"Because it directly impacts you." Sara said.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy asked.

"The criminal we're dealing with, a crime lord named Daniel Brickwell, we found out that he's the one who murdered your mom." Sara said and Tommy felt like the world had been pulled out from beneath his feet.

"Are you sure about that?" Tommy asked.

"Positive, you know I wouldn't lie to you about something like this." Sara said.

"Brickwell ruined my life. Before he killed my mom, my life was really good. I had two normal, living parents who loved me. Then he shot my mom and everything changed. My dad disappeared for two years and then when he came back, he was a cold, detached jackass with homicidal tendencies. And it's all Brickwell's fault. And he's gonna pay for it." Tommy said.

"I'm guessing that means I'm not going back to Star City alone?" Sara asked.

"No. I'm coming with you and I'm gonna make this Brick clown pay for what he did to my family." Tommy said.

"Great, though word of advice, don't wear your league gear. I can think of an outfit that, when combined with your skills, will really put the fear of god in him." Sara said and Tommy already knew what she was talking about.

"You think Oliver will mind?" Tommy asked.

"You'd probably be more convincing than Roy." Sara said and Tommy nodded at that.

"Give me a few hours to get things settled here and then I'll go with you back to Star City." Tommy said and Sara nodded.


	106. Chapter 106

**Changing course a bit in this chapter, since after getting a request, I realize that there are probably people out there who are curious about Oliver and Laurel's honeymoon, so I'm obliging them, but just to be clear, there will be no explicit content. This story is rated T and that's what I'm trying to deliver. The closest thing you might get is references, but no actual smut. And I will also try to keep the story in Star City going in this chapter, but if I don't, I'll pick back up with it in the next one.**

* * *

It had been a month since Oliver and Laurel had left on their honeymoon and they were having the time of their lives, since for their honeymoon, they were touring Europe thanks to Oliver's private jet and the fact that they had two months for their honeymoon, though now they were entering the final part of it, since they had to return to America in about a week.

As they sat on the jet that was taking them to Paris for the last week of their honeymoon, Laurel was on her laptop, taking a look of all the pictures she and Oliver had taken throughout their trip. They'd started out their honeymoon in London, where she'd gotten pictures of the changing of the guard, them standing in front of Big Bend and Parliament, riding the giant ferris wheel and many others.

After England, they'd gone to Spain, where the timing had worked out so they were arriving in the running of the bulls, which Laurel had insisted Oliver participate in. Those bulls hadn't stood a chance against him, but it was funny to her to watch. They'd also had a lot of fun on the beaches of La Concha and other sights.

After Spain, Laurel smiled as she remembered their time in Italy as she pulled the pictures of them from there. They'd probably spent more time in Italy then anywhere else. They'd gone to see the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain and of course they'd done the classic photo of trying to hold up the leaning tower of Pisa and visited the Valley of Temples and Pompeii. They'd especially enjoyed spending time in Sicily and Venice.

After Italy, they'd gone to Greece, where they'd taken pictures of the Parthenon and the Acropolis and even visited Delphi and the legendary Mount Olympus, though after he'd heard about Diana Prince, they'd both begun thinking that maybe those myths weren't as made up as everyone thought.

They'd also spent time in Portugal and Norway though now they were finally going to France, since they'd agreed to save the most romantic part of their honeymoon for the end, since they were going to be in Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world.

"You know, if you buy anymore souvenirs while we're in Paris, there might be too much weight for the jet to get us home." Oliver said with a chuckle as he sat down next to his wife, who rolled her eyes at him.

"I didn't get that much stuff." Laurel defended, just to have Oliver raise an eyebrow at her.

"We left Star City with 4 bags total for all our stuff. Now if we were to go back now, we'd be returning with at least times as many bags." Oliver said.

"It's not like you can't afford it." Laurel said.

"We can afford it. Did you somehow forget that everything that's mine also became yours when we got married?" Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Of course not. So maybe I went a little overboard, but I was excited, give me a break." Laurel said.

"Relax, I'm messing with you. Trust me, this plane has endured my mom and Thea shopping, it can handle a few more souvenir bags. But anyways, the pilot says we've still got a few more hours till we land in Paris, so I have a few ideas on how we can put them to better use." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as she put her laptop away.

"Go on." she said as she let him lead her towards their cabin, since this jet had an actual bedroom.

* * *

"I'd forgotten how much I hate air travel." Tommy said as he and Sara entered the base.

"Really, I seem to remember you loving to take your daddy's gulfstream out when we were younger." Thea said with a smile as she watched the man who'd been like another brother to her enter the base with Sara.

"That was different." Tommy said.

"He's not used to not flying in luxurious plane." Sara said and Thea rolled her eyes as Roy and Winn joined them.

"I know you said you were hoping that Tommy would send the league to help us with Brick, but I honestly did not expect him to come here himself." Roy said.

"This is personal. If it weren't for Brick, I'd have both of my parents right now. My mother would still be alive and my father wouldn't have become a sociopath before dying himself." Tommy said.

"And Roy, no offense, but I think that Tommy would serve as more convincing Green Arrow than you." Sara said and Roy shrugged.

"I've always looked better in red." Roy said.

"Winn, any luck tracking Brick?" Sara asked.

"Not yet. I am doing everything I can to search for him." Winn said.

"Good thing we didn't come back alone. I brought a few members of the league with me and they are currently searching the city as we speak." Tommy said.

"Good. The more help we get on this the better, since I'd really like to have this wrapped up before Ollie and Laurel get back." Sara said.

"How are they doing by the way?" Tommy asked.

"Last time I talked to Laurel, it was brief, but it sounds like she's having the time of her life." Sara said and Tommy nodded.


	107. Chapter 107

The next day, Roy was surprised to find the entire precinct in chaos when he arrived.

"Captain, what's going on?" Roy asked Lance when he saw him.

"I was beginning to wonder if I'd need to go to your base and tell you there. I keep forgetting you're a cop." Quentin said.

"What's going on?" Roy asked.

"That attack you and Thea stopped last night while Sara was out of town getting back up, it was a diversion." Quentin said.

"What happened?" Roy asked, filled with dread.

"While you guys were protecting deputy mayor Ramirez from the ambush Brick's men tried to spring on her, he and his cronies abducted four aldermen." Quentin said and Roy went cold with dread.

"That's why he wasn't there himself. Any casualties?" Roy asked.

"Not yet. But I don't want to chance it." Quentin said.

"Send Winn every detail you can about the captured aldermen. Even tiniest thing could be useful." Roy said.

"I'll get on it. What Sara, is she back?" Quentin asked.

"She is and she's brought help. Tommy's here with a few members of the League. They're already searching for Brick. I'll bring the others up to speed on this." Roy said and Quentin nodded.

"I was really hoping that we could avoid these sort of things at least until Oliver and Laurel got back." Quentin said.

"You and me both. But can we both agree not to tell them about this, since we both know they're likely to cut their honeymoon short to come back and deal with this. Laurel as the mayor and Oliver as the Green Arrow." Roy said, that last part softly so no one else would hear it.

"Agreed. Let's hope we can wrap this up before they do get back." Quentin said and Roy nodded.

* * *

Sara and Tommy were sparring in the bunker, since aside from Oliver, Tommy was the only one who could give her a decent challenge while Thea practiced the salmon ladder and Winn worked at his station, right as Thea noticed her phone ringing with Roy's ringtone.

"Hey, what's up?" Thea asked.

"It turns out last night was a diversion. While we and the cops were busy protecting Rene from Brick's troops, he was busy also abducting 4 aldermen." Roy said as Thea then put him on speaker phone.

"You're on speaker." Thea said as Tommy, Winn and Sara joined her.

"Any idea on where they are now?" Sara asked.

"None. You're dad is sending everything they've got on the aldermen to Winn, maybe you can help find something they can't." Roy said.

"I'm on it." Winn said.

"I'll send word to my scouts to start looking for them as well." Tommy said.

"Good. We're still waiting to hear from Brick, since he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of doing this if he didn't have demands." Roy said.

"We'll start looking here and we'll let you know if we get anything." Sara said.

"Copy." Roy said as he hung up.

"Okay, now in addition to finding Brick, we need to find the aldermen he kidnapped." Sara said.

"I'll go inform my scouts of this development, though it would be easier if we knew which aldermen were taken." Tommy said.

"I just got that info." Winn said as he received the data from Captain Lance.

"Huh, it looks like one of those alderman was a familiar face." Winn said.

"What do you mean?" Sara asked.

"What I mean is that one of the captives is Laurel's former mayoral competitor, Sebastian Blood." Winn said.


	108. Chapter 108

Brick had made contact with Rene at City Hall later on that day and now he, along with Lance, Roy and several other cops were meeting with Brick and Roy had stressed it to the team not to show up, since doing so would put the aldermen in danger, since Brick had made it clear that if he so much as spotted the tiniest trace of a mask, he'd have all the aldermen killed.

"Okay Mr. Brickwell, I'm here, what do you want." Rene asked.

"See, now this is why I waited until the mayor was gone. Laurel Lance never would've negotiated with me, but you, Mr. Ramirez, are better at understanding how these things work." Brick said.

"Enough. Tell us what you want." Roy said.

"Fine. It's simple really, you have 24 hours to have all police officers evacuate the Glades." Brick said.

"And if we don't?" Rene asked.

"Then those aldermen never get to go home." Brick said as he and his crew walked away.

Roy and Quentin moved to stop them, but Rene put his hands up to stop them.

"No, don't. We can't put those innocent lives in danger. Captain, order the recall." Rene said.

"You can't be serious." Quentin said.

"I don't like this anymore than you do, but I'm not willing to risk the safety and lives of those aldermen in case we can't find them before Brick's deadline. Besides, it's not like the Glades will be totally defenseless." Rene said and both Roy and Quentin caught the meaning of that.

"So, you're a vigilante supporter." Roy said.

"Call them what they are Detective Harper." Rene said.

"And that is?" Roy asked.

"They're heroes and I'm not the only member of this city who shares that opinion. Now, go back to the SCPD and see if you can get a message to them, since until those aldermen are found, we can't do anything." Rene said.

"Copy that sir." Quentin said as Rene walked over to his car.

"I'll head back to the bunker and see what they can work up. Hopefully Winn has a lead by now." Roy said.

"Let's hope so. Though it is nice to know that our deputy mayor is a vigilante supporter." Quentin said.

"Especially since he works for one." Roy said.

"Yep. Let me know if you get anything. I need to head back to the precinct and do what the mayor says. I just hope it works out alright." Quentin said.

"I'm sure it will. But when Laurel finds out, let's try and pin the blame for all this on Rene." Roy said.

"That was the plan." Quentin agreed, since they both knew Laurel would not be happy about the city caving to Brick.

* * *

"I can't believe my dad just caved like that." Sara said after Roy had told them what happened.

"He didn't, but Rene didn't give him much choice about it. Apparently the deputy mayor has a lot of faith in vigilantes to leave the Glades under our protection. But Winn, any luck tracking the aldermen?" Roy asked.

"Actually, I just got a location." Winn said.

"How?" Sara asked.

"It turns out one of the aldermen has a pacemaker, which I just used to track it. But that does mean that we're on a bit more of a clock, since it isn't recharged soon, we'll lose an alderman anyway." Winn said.

"Where are they?" Tommy asked.

"The Glades Precinct." Winn said.

"Well it's not like the police ever really used it." Roy mumbled.

"Suit up. We need to hit them hard before Brick has a chance to retaliate." Sara said as she, Thea and Roy moved to suit up.

"Tommy, you're suiting up." Sara said and Tommy nodded as he looked up at the center mannequin and wondered if he really deserved to wear the suit on it. Or more specifically, the hood.


	109. Chapter 109

Brick grinned as he came back from patrolling the Glades. It seemed as though the deputy mayor had done as he asked, since there wasn't a single pig in sight.

"Well, it looks like these muppets might actually live through the night after all." Brick said as he looked over at the four aldermen who were tied up in the corner of the precinct he'd turned into his base.

"It's only a temporary measure. Once mayor Lance gets back, she'll send the entire police force in after you." Sebastian Blood said, though he was thinking that this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for to take the mayorship from Laurel Lance.

"Shut up yank." Brick said as he got tired of listening to Blood's prattle and shot him.

"Well, it looks like only three aldermen are going home tonight. Any of you thinking of wising off to me?" Brick asked as the other aldermen wisely kept their mouths shut.

"I didn't think so." Brick said, right as the lights flickered.

"What's going on?" Brick asked as suddenly, a loud cry pierced the air and all the windows shattered.

"They're here." Brick said White Canary, Frostbite, Arsenal and 6 other people in the same black garb came in through the shattered windows and Green Arrow came in by breaking the door down.

"My father will not be happy about this." White Canary said.

"Bill it to Queen Consolidated." Green Arrow muttered as they turned their attention back to Brick.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Brick asked as he took them in.

"You may have scared the cops out of the Glades, but we're not cops." Frostbite said.

"Oh I know. But I didn't think you'd be foolish enough to attack me while I have hostages." Brick said as he raised his gun and fired at the hostages, but before the bullets could make contact, suddenly, a wall of ice erupted, blocking the bullets before they could reach their targets.

"Too slow blockhead." Frostbite said.

"It's Brick." Brick growled as his guys came to his aid.

"You know your missions. Let's do this." Green Arrow said as he lunged towards Brick while White Canary and the League agents engaged Brick's thugs while Frostbite and Arsenal went to free the hostages.

* * *

The moment Tommy was alone with Brick, his vision turned red, since this was the man who'd ruined his life and now it was time to make him pay for it.

Brick did his best to fight back, but it quickly became clear that he was outmatched as Green Arrow wailed on him mercilessly, tossing him to the ground and aimed his bow at him.

"Daniel Brickwell, you have failed this city." Green Arrow said as he prepared to fire the kill shot.

"Don't." White Canary said as she arrived in time to see the sight.

"Why not? He deserves to die." Green Arrow shouted.

"That's not what we do. At least not anymore. You kill him like this, in cold blood, than you're no better than him." White Canary said.

"What?" Green Arrow asked.

"I know Brick wronged you and you have every right to want revenge. But this isn't the way. If you truly want to defeat Brick, then do it by being a better man than him. One who makes the right choice. The makes sure he faces justice the right way." White Canary said.

"He ruined my life." Green Arrow insisted.

"So what, you take his life. How does that make you any better than him. Or better than the Dark Archer?" White Canary said and Green Arrow sighed as he finally came down from his bloodlust.

"You're right. As much as I want to kill him, I realize that would let him off too easily. He has a lot other crimes to answer for." Green Arrow said as he lowered his bow and then punched Brick out.


	110. Chapter 110

Sara was starting to get worried, since she thought that Alex would've come home to Star City by now, so she decided to call her.

"Hello?" Alex's voice said from the other end of the call.

"Hey, Alex." Sara said.

"Sara, I knew was forgetting to do something. I'm sorry I haven't called you before now, things have been kind of crazy out here in National City." Alex said.

"Yeah, I thought you'd be coming home by now." Sara said.

"Actually Sara, I got promoted." Alex said, much to Sara's surprise.

"Why is this the first I'm hearing of it?" Sara asked.

"Sorry, but things have been moving so quickly, I forgot." Alex said and Sara could hear the embarrassment in her voice.

"It's fine, but what happened?" Sara asked.

"J'onn decided to stay on Mars to help the White Martian Resistance, so I got promoted to the Director of the DEO. But that means I have to move to National City, since that's where the current base is." Alex said.

"Really." Sara said.

"Yeah, that's the other reason I didn't tell you besides forgetting to do it. I know how much you love Star City and Team Arrow." Alex said.

"And both can do just fine without me, since both managed just fine before I back. Alex, I thought I made it clear that you're the one I care the most about. I love you and if that means I have to tell Oliver I'm leaving the team, so be it. Besides, Star City doesn't need two canaries. Maybe I can work with Wally in National City." Sara said.

"You're sure you're okay with this?" Alex asked.

"I promise you I am. Just promise me one thing." Sara said.

"Name it." Alex said.

"Don't start looking for any real homes until I get out there." Sara said.

"Don't worry, right now J'onn said I could crash at his apartment, but once you get here, we can start looking for our own place. By the way, when will you get here?" Alex asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be there once Ollie and Laurel get back tomorrow, since I still need to tell them that I'm leaving." Sara assured her.

"I can wait till then." Alex said and Sara smiled.

"I love you." Sara said.

"I love you to." Alex said as she hung up and Sara silently took a deep breath as she hoped that Oliver and Laurel took her news as well as she hoped they would.

* * *

The next day, after Oliver and Laurel had finished getting unpacked from their honeymoon, Oliver called a team meeting in the bunker so they could be caught up on everything they missed.

"Welcome home." Thea said as she hugged her sister-in-law.

"Thank you Thea. It is so good to be home. Europe was fun, but I think I've had enough relaxing for right now." Laurel said as Thea then hugged her brother and Sara hugged her sister.

"So, what exactly did we miss while we were gone?" Oliver asked.

"You missed us stopping Daniel Brickwell from taking over Glades." Roy said.

"Daniel Brickwell." Oliver said, surprised and a bit disappointed he'd missed that douchebag, since he still remembered that Brick had him jumped in prison.

"Yeah and we actually called in Tommy for some backup on that." Sara said.

"Why?" Laurel asked.

"Because Brick killed his mother." Sara said and Oliver had to work hard to keep the fact that he already knew that off his face.

"So, in a way, Brick set everything in motion." Oliver said and Sara nodded.

"I actually had to talk Tommy down from killing Brick, since if he did, he'd be no better than his father." Sara said.

"Good work." Oliver said.

"Now, I actually have an announcement to make." Sara said.

"And that is?" Oliver asked.

"I'm leaving the team." Sara said.

"What, why?" Laurel asked.

"Because Alex got promoted and transferred to National City as the new director of the DEO, J'onn resigned and as much as I love being a part of team Arrow, I don't want to live in a different city than her." Sara said.

"You sure about this?" Oliver asked.

"I am. And it's not like the city will be defenseless. It'll still have a canary." Sara said as she smiled at her sister, who smiled at her to.

"Promise, you'll keep in touch?" Laurel asked.

"Promise and if you guys need me, I'll be here." Sara assured them.

"As long as you're sure this is the right decision for you Sara, then I support you. All the way." Oliver said, since unlike the last time Sara had left the team, this time she was doing it for love, something Oliver could completely understand.

"Thank you Ollie." Sara said with a smile as Laurel came over and hugged her.

"Remember Sara. Star City will always be the home of White Canary." Laurel said.

"Star City will be just fine with Black Canary. But National city, something tells me they need more than one hero defending it." Sara said with a smile as she then hugged Oliver before moving to grab her suit and walked out.


	111. Chapter 111

It had been a few weeks since Oliver and Laurel had returned from their honeymoon and both were getting back to work. Laurel had quickly taken back control at City Hall and resumed her duties as mayor, though right now, her main concern was dealing with the fallout for not being there when Brick attacked, though in her defense, how was she supposed to know Brick would attack while she was on her honeymoon, though she commended Rene, since while she wasn't happy he'd consented to Brick's demands, she understood why he did it. She was however trying to keep him to passing legislation to deputize the vigilantes, since first of all, she and Oliver had agreed that the team would work best if they weren't affiliated with the police and second, she was worried about what other lowlifes might try to advantage of it.

Oliver on the other hand was starting to settled in to his new role at Queen Consolidated, which he'd actually use to start a program to help the Glades and other impoverished areas of Star City, having the company hold fundraisers and fund projects to help the Glades. Walter was all for Oliver's ideas and the rest of the board put up with them because it was good PR for Queen Consolidated.

"Oliver." Walter said as he entered Oliver's office.

"Walter, I didn't realize that we have a meeting." Oliver said.

"No don't worry, this is something that just came up." Walter said.

"Okay, I'm listening." Oliver said.

"You remember how Ray Palmer died a few months ago?" Walter asked and Oliver nodded, since Ray had supposedly died when the top level of the Star City Palmer Tech building exploded, though Oliver had his suspicions on what had really happened to him.

"Yeah, so?" Oliver asked.

"Well, Queen Consolidated is on the verge of buying Palmer Technologies out, since ever since Mr. Palmer died, his company has suffered greatly. I want you to negotiate the deal." Walter said.

"Are you sure I'm ready for that?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver, you're going to have to make deals like this when you're the CEO and that will be soon." Walter said, since they'd agreed that Oliver would take over as acting CEO after Moira gave birth, Oliver still couldn't believe that his mother was pregnant, but, at least now she had a chance to raise a kid right, though considering how he and Thea were acting now, he guessed they could've come out worse.

"Still." Oliver said.

"You're ready and you won't be doing it alone." Walter assured him and Oliver finally nodded.

"Okay then." Oliver said, agreeing to do it.

* * *

"Still getting used to both of us having real jobs now." Laurel said with a smile as she saw Oliver enter their penthouse after work.

"Yeah, honestly, this will take some getting used to. Especially when we have kids." Oliver said.

"Well, one good thing about our jobs is that we're both the bosses." Laurel said and Oliver chuckled.

"So anyways, how was work?" Laurel asked.

"Walter asked me to handle the negotiations for Queen Consolidated buying Palmer Tech next week." Oliver said.

"Huh, they're getting bought out?" Laurel asked.

"Their CEO dying in a fiery explosion that demolished the top floor of the building severely damaged their stock margin. QC's been buying up shares of the company for months, but now we're finally going to close the deal." Oliver said.

"You almost sound like a real businessman." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"I almost am one." Oliver pointed out.

"Well, business man, are you too tired for dinner?" Laurel asked.

"No, as long as you're not cooking." Oliver said teasingly to his wife.

"Hey, I've gotten better since the last time I tried cooking for you." Laurel defended.

"Sweetheart, I love you, but while you have many wonderful talents, cooking is not one of them. There's no shame in that. You've always done your best to get away from stereotypes." Oliver said.

"I know, but when we have kids, I don't want them to only rely on you for real cooking. Besides, I want to be able to cook for you every once and awhile without you faking food poisoning." Laurel said.

"I wasn't faking it the last time I ate your food." Oliver said.

"Watch it or you'll be sleeping down here tonight." Laurel said.

"Consider me warned." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"You know, I could teach you to cook." Oliver said.

"Where did you learn how to cook. Before the island, I've never seen you cook a day in your life." Laurel said.

"I learned to take care of myself in more ways than one." Oliver said simply and prevented Laurel from asking anymore questions by kissing her.


	112. Chapter 112

Oliver was surprised when Lyla called him and asked to meet him at the bunker.

"What's going on Lyla?" Oliver asked.

"I wanted to know if you were aware that before they left for National City, Alex and Sara were running a secret, off the books operation within Argus." Lyla said.

"I did not know that, though it doesn't surprise me. Every Argus director has had their share of off the books ops. Technically, I was one of Amanda Waller's." Oliver said.

"Fair point, but don't worry, this isn't anything bad." Lyla said.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"Sara informed me of the operation shortly before she left for National City. Alex confirmed it. You remember their trip to Paris a few months ago?" Lyla asked.

"Vaguely." Oliver said.

"It turns out that was a cover for an off the books Argus job investigating a criminal terrorist financier who goes by the name Dante." Lyla said.

"I'm assuming that you're continuing the investigation?" Oliver asked and Lyla nodded.

"I am and I'm also beginning to realize why Alex kept it off book. There's some sort of conspiracy within Argus. I'm not sure who I can trust." Lyla said.

"I'm not sure what exactly you want me to do about that? I don't work for Argus anymore." Oliver said.

"No, I'm here because in my search into Dante, I found something interesting. Apparently he is in contact with a group who call themselves the Longbow Hunters." Lyla said and Oliver's blood ran cold. The last time he'd heard about them, it was John and Felicity telling him about the Hunters had nearly blown up the whole city with Diaz. Another reason he was glad he'd killed Diaz early on, since if he never saw that son of a bitch again, it would be too soon. He'd never forgive Diaz for all the pain he caused.

"I've heard of them. Three highly gifted, highly dangerous assassins." Oliver said and Lyla nodded.

"According to the files Sara left me, even the League of Assassins treaded carefully around them. And if the records I've been able to obtain are correct, it appears that they've come to Star City." Lyla said.

"What. Why are they here?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know. But my intel suggests that Dante hired them for a job here." Lyla said.

"So, we find the Hunters, we find Dante." Oliver said and Lyla nodded.

"Send Winn everything you have on the Longbow Hunters. We need to take them down before they can do any damage." Oliver said and Lyla nodded before she left, leaving Oliver to wonder why the Longbow hunters were in town, since Diaz was dead.

Whatever the reason was, he was determined to find out and stop it before it started.

* * *

Since after Brick's attack, most cops were refusing to venture too far into the Glades anymore, Laurel had come up with the Glades' Police Force Initiative or the GPFI. This initiative would allow her to create a specialized police force for the Glades, that would operate under the authority of City Hall, not the SCPD, since honestly her father, Roy and Pike were the only cops Laurel knew weren't crooked and considering where the police force was stationed, Laurel needed to make sure that there was as little corruption on this force as possible.

It had taken some convincing on her part, but she'd gotten the city council to approve this action, so long as she personally vetted every member of the task force. A policy that was just fine with Laurel, since it meant she could personally get a feel for every applicant and make sure they were a good fit.

Anyways, Laurel had just finished going over the list of candidates her father had sent her and while Laurel had already decided that Roy would be the officer in charge of the task force, she still had a lot of applications left to go through when her secretary informed her that her sister-in-law was here to see her.

"Thea, what brings you to see me, shouldn't you be getting ready to open up the club tonight?" Laurel asked, since Thea had made Verdant more popular than ever.

"Actually, I'm thinking about selling Verdant." Thea said.

"What, why, I thought you loved running that club?" Laurel asked.

"I used to. But I don't know, I guess after spending so much time helping protect the city, the club scene got a little boring for me. It doesn't give me the same rush or satisfaction it used to as either owner or patron." Thea said.

"Wow, you've really grown up." Laurel said and Thea nodded.

"Yeah and I realized that the thing that does give me that rush is when we're protecting the city." Thea said.

"So what, you want to join the SCPD. You'd have to talk to my dad, not me." Laurel said.

"Actually, Roy let slip about your new Glades Police Force and I was wondering if I needed to already be enlisted in the SCPD to sign up?" Thea asked, much to Laurel's surprise.

"I never thought I'd see the day that party girl Thea Queen wanted to actually join the police force." Laurel said with a smile.

"Well, that Thea Queen was young, stupid and naive. Besides, I made a lot of mistakes, and yet I turned my life around. I don't know, I guess that I feel like if I can do it, than maybe I can help other people in the Glades do the same." Thea said and Laurel smiled at her.

"I think you should actually enlist in the SCPD and then get a recommendation for this task force so it doesn't look like I'm giving you special treatment just because I married your brother." Laurel said and Thea nodded.

"Thank you Laurel." Thea said.

"Any time Officer Speedy." Laurel said and Thea laughed.

"I haven't heard that name in a long time." Thea said.

"I'll tell Ollie we need to get back in the habit of calling you that." Laurel said as Thea left her office to let Laurel get back to work.


	113. Chapter 113

Ever since Brick had tried to take over the Glades and SCPD had begun refusing to venture too far into that area, Team Arrow had become the primary line of defense in the Glades against crime, since the Glades task force Laurel was putting together was still far from being ready, since there just weren't enough officers willing to join yet, though it was getting there, since Laurel was offering them a higher salary than normal cops.

Anyways, Team Arrow was currently patrolling the Glades when Winn came on over the comms.

"Guys, I know it's not exactly our purview, but there's a fire going on in an apartment context in the Glades." Winn said.

"What's the status of SCFD?" Black Canary asked.

"They won't make it in time, since I'm not sure they're even trying to get there." Winn said.

"Note to self, tell the fire chief to get his head out of his ass before I fire him." Black Canary muttered to herself.

"We're on it. Frostbite, fly around the building and put out the areas where the fire looks the worst, Winn, try and find anyone still stuck inside, Canary, Arsenal and I will get the people to safety." Green Arrow said and they all nodded.

* * *

Team Arrow wasted no time in getting the people to safety from the fire and though it was too dangerous for them to get people out from the main entrance, Frostbite used her powers to create an ice path from the roof of the building to the one next to it before moving to contain the fire with her ice blasts while Black Canary helped get people across while Green Arrow and Arsenal continued searching the building for any other trapped people.

Speaking of, Green Arrow forced his way into an apartment to find an asian woman standing terrified in a corner, trying to avoid the flames.

"Please, help me." the woman said.

"Don't worry, I will." Green Arrow said and no sooner did he say that did he hear a bullet pierce the window and he moved just in time to push the woman out of bullet's range.

"What was that?" the woman asked.

"I don't know, but come on, we need to get you out of here." Green Arrow said as he led the woman up to the roof.

"Winn, did you get eyes on the shooter?" Green Arrow asked.

"Negative. I'll see if Roy can get me some forensics when the police eventually arrive." Winn said.

"Copy that." Green Arrow said.

* * *

"So, anyone else getting the feeling that this fire wasn't a coincidence since a woman was almost shot in it?" Roy asked as the team gathered in the bunker after successfully putting out the fire and saving everyone.

"This was a cover. Whoever the shooter was, they had the fire set an attempt to cover their tracks. Someone wanted that woman dead." Oliver said.

"The question is, why? Who is that woman and why would someone want her killed?" Laurel asked, though it was clear that she was still ticked about the fire department practically being a no show.

"Winn, please tell me you got an id on her?" Oliver asked.

"I did. Her name is Kazumi Adachi." Winn said and Oliver, Thea and Laurel all exchanged looks.

"Emiko's mother." Oliver said.

"I'm sorry, but Emiko as in your estranged, never half-sister Emiko?" Winn asked.

"Yeah, her. I've been searching for her for months, but apparently she's out of the country. And now someone was trying to kill her mother." Oliver said.

"If we can get proof, we can put Kazumi in protective custody." Roy said.

"Then see if you can get us some, but it'll have to wait until the morning. And I am going to be having a long talk with the fire chief tomorrow about why the fire department was nowhere to be found tonight." Laurel said.

"I almost feel bad for him." Oliver said and Thea and Roy both looked like they shared his sentiments.

* * *

"You wanted to see me Mayor Lance?" Fire chief Raynes asked Laurel when he entered her office the next morning.

"Yes chief, I wanted to talk to you about the fact that there was a fire in the Glades last night and is what I heard is correct, the SCFD was nowhere to be found. In fact, if it weren't for the vigilantes, the lives of everyone in that building could've been lost. So tell me chief. Where was the fire department last night?" Laurel asked and Raynes squirmed as he felt under a microscope.

"The fire was deep in the Glades, the boys didn't want to risk their lives." Raynes began only to have Laurel cut him off.

"Then they shouldn't have become firefighters. You took an oath to help the people of this city, every single one of them, regardless of what part of the city they're from. If you can't uphold that oath, I will find someone else who can. The Glades are just as much a part of Star City as any other part of it and it's high time the rest of the city remembers that. Do I make myself clear?" Laurel asked.

"Crystal." Raynes said.

"This will be your only warning chief. If this happens again and especially, if the vigilantes aren't around to cover your ass, then I will have your badge." Laurel said.

"I understand Ms. Mayor. It won't happen again." Raynes said.

"Good. Now get out of my office so I can figure out how to explain this situation you've put me to the press without making it seem like the city has become dependent on vigilantes, since while I support them, I have no intention of Star City becoming dependent on them for everyday matters, since the tax dollars of this city pay for services to cover those." Laurel snapped and Raynes nodded and he looked like he could not get out of that office fast enough.


	114. Chapter 114

Oliver was sitting in his office at Queen Consolidated, finalizing the plans to buy out Palmer Technologies when Walter entered his office.

"Walter, is everything okay?" Oliver asked.

"I just got a call from your mother." Walter said.

"And?" Oliver asked.

"And her water broke, she's in labor." Walter said.

"Then why are you still here?" Oliver asked.

"I'm just telling you that you need to take over for me." Walter said and Oliver nodded.

"I'll handle things here, you just make sure you're there when my little brother or sister is born." Oliver said and Walter nodded at him gratefully.

"Thank you." Walter said.

"Tell mom I'll be there as soon as I can and you should call Thea on the way there. I'll call Laurel." Oliver said and Walter nodded as he walked out.

* * *

Moira had been admitted to the hospital immediately and she was currently in a hospital bed with Dr. Gill checking to see how dilated she was.

"Well doctor?" Moira asked.

"I'm afraid we've still got awhile to go before you're ready to push." Dr. Gill said as Walter entered the room.

"You made it." Moira said as she gripped her husband's hand.

"Did you doubt I'd miss the birth of my first child?" Walter asked.

"First and last. I'm too old to do this again." Moira said and Walter chuckled.

"Moira, you aren't that old." Walter said.

"Thank you Walter, but it's a miracle I got pregnant at all at my age. I can't go through it again." Moira said.

"We'll talk about this more once you're no longer in labor." Walter said and Moira nodded in agreement.

"Where are Oliver and Thea?" Moira asked, since she really wanted both of her children to be here for this.

"Oliver said that he'd come here as soon as he's gotten things under control at Queen Consolidated and I called Thea and she said that she'd get here as soon as possible, since I doubt even her instructor at the police academy will want to keep her from missing the birth of her younger sibling." Walter said.

"After all the times we've picked Thea up from the precinct when she was a delinquent, I never even imagined I'd see the day when she actually became a police officer." Moira said and Walter chuckled, though it became a bit pained when Moira's grip on his hand grew tighter as she hit another contraction.

* * *

When Oliver entered the waiting room, he found Thea, Laurel and Roy already there.

"Thea called you?" Oliver asked Roy, since he'd called Laurel after Walter had told him.

"Yeah, hope you don't mind, seeing as how I'm not actually a member of this family." Roy said.

"Of course you are." Thea assured him and Oliver nodded his agreement with that.

"Any word?" Oliver asked.

"Last I checked, mom's getting close, so hopefully it'll be soon." Thea said and Oliver nodded as he sat down next to his wife.

"I really hope everything goes okay." Laurel said.

"I'm sure the birth will go fine. It's what happens next that I'm worried about." Oliver said.

"What are you talking about?" Laurel asked.

"My mother is many things, but her parenting skills, those were never her strongest suit. I just hope that she can learn from the mistakes she made with me and Thea to be a better mother to this kid." Oliver said.

"I'm sure she has, plus, she has Walter to help. And besides, you and Thea didn't turn out that bad. I mean you're now the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated and Thea is a recruit in the SCPD." Laurel said.

"Yeah now, but you know it wasn't an easy road to get there." Oliver said.

"And you and I both know that the things that are truly worth doing never are. Besides, the way I like to look at it is that now we know all the things not to do when we have kids." Laurel said with a smile, which Oliver shared.

"Yeah, I guess so." Oliver said.

"So, who knows, maybe the next time we're in the maternity ward of the hospital, it'll be for the birth of our own baby." Laurel said and Oliver smiled again.

"And how soon do you think that will be?" Oliver asked.

"I think we should just wait until we both decide we're ready." Laurel said and Oliver nodded as a nurse came back out.

"Oliver and Thea Queen?" the nurse said as Oliver and Thea rose.

"Yes?" Thea asked.

"Come with me please." the nurse said as Oliver and Thea followed her in the doorway.


	115. Chapter 115

"Is everything alright?" Oliver asked as the nurse led him and Thea into the maternity ward.

"Everything is fine." the nurse assured them as they reached their mother's room.

The nurse opened the door and both Oliver and Thea smiled when they saw their mother, while she looked tired and sweaty, smiling as she held a small bundle in her arms.

"Aw." Thea said as she rushed up to them and Oliver smiled as he followed them.

"Oliver, Thea, say hello to your new baby brother." Walter said softly so as not to wake the baby.

"It's a boy." Oliver said and Moira nodded.

"Which is actually what we were hoping for." Moira said.

"Why?" Thea asked.

"Because of the name we picked out in the event the baby was a boy, which it is." Walter said.

"Okay then, don't leave us hanging, what's our brother's name?" Thea asked and Moira smiled.

"Robert Lucas Steel." Moira said with a smile.

"Robert." Oliver said.

"I hope you don't mind that we named him after your father." Walter said.

"No, I'm happy about it. It's a nice way to honor dad." Oliver said as he looked down at his little brother's face.

"Well, hopefully, this is the kid you'll raise right and won't have a criminal record." Thea said as she resisted the urge to take her brother from her mother.

"Oh, you two didn't end up too badly after all. I mean Oliver, you're the temporary CEO of Queen Consolidated and you've finally married Laurel, probably the only one of your relationships I've ever approved of." Moira said.

"Something you often voiced whenever you caught me cheating." Oliver said with a chuckle.

"And Thea, you've gone from a juvenile delinquent to a calm, passionate young woman who's actually enlisted in the police force." Moira said and Thea smiled.

"Well, I guess time has a funny way of catching up with you." Thea said.

"I guess so." Oliver agreed.

* * *

A few days later, Moira and Walter brought Robert home to the mansion to find Oliver, Thea, Laurel, Roy, Raisa and a few other members of the house staff had set up a small party for them.

"Welcome home." Oliver said as Moira smiled.

"Thank you all for doing this." Walter said.

"Of course, you honestly think we're going let my little brother come into the world without a proper welcoming party?" Thea asked with a smile as Oliver handed both Walter and his mother glasses of champagne.

"To, the newest member of this family." Oliver said.

"Robert Lucas Steele." Moira said.

"Steele, why not Queen?" Roy asked curiously.

"Because we wanted him to take his father's name." Moira said and Roy nodded.

"Well anyways, welcome Robert." Oliver said as they all sipped their champagne and Oliver was very glad that Laurel hadn't developed a drinking problem in this reality.

"I have missed the taste of champagne." Moira said with a smile.

"So Walter, when exactly will you be back at the company?" Oliver asked and Walter looked at Moira, who nodded.

"Well, this wasn't exactly when I'd planned to announce it, but I guess now I will." Walter said.

"Announce what?" Thea asked.

"Well, neither Moira or I are as young as we once were. In fact, it's amazing we were even able to have a child." Walter said and now Oliver felt like he had an idea of where this was going.

"Yeah so?" Thea asked.

"Well, I've actually decided to retire in order to spend more time with my family. And it looks like Queen Consolidated will be in very good hands anyways Oliver, since your father always wanted you to run the company and I think you're ready." Walter said.

"You sure about this?" Oliver asked.

"I am. This is what I think is best for our family." Walter said.

"Then I support you and I'll make sure the board does to." Oliver said.

"Thank you Oliver." Walter said.

"Who knows, maybe the next time we have a party like this will be for you two." Thea said to Oliver and Laurel.

"Probably, but not for awhile I hope." Laurel said.

"I thought you wanted kids?" Moira asked, a little put off at the thought of not getting grandchildren.

"We didn't say never, just we're in no rush to enter that phase, since we haven't even been married a year yet. Besides, I need to settle in to running QC full time, which will be easier if I'm not also dealing with a pregnant wife." Oliver said.

"He's not wrong." Laurel said and Moira chuckled and nodded in understanding.

"Just don't wait too long to have children." Moira said as Oliver put his arm around his wife.

"Don't worry, we won't. But we're not rushing into either. When the time is right, we'll know." Oliver said as he and Laurel quickly kissed before they went back to enjoying the party.


	116. Chapter 116

Oliver was surprised when he got a call from Barry.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked.

"Vandal Savage." Barry said, much to Oliver's surprise.

"That son of a bitch is still around." Oliver asked.

"I guess some things never change. If you guys don't mind, we could use some help, especially since that Rip Hunter guy Sara told us about is here saying that apparently Savage's plan involves a lot more than just killing Carter and Kendra." Barry said.

"We'll be out there as soon as we can." Oliver said.

"Actually, we have the Waverider with us, so we'll just come to you." Barry said.

"Give me a location to have my team meet you at." Oliver said and Barry gave him the location.

* * *

"Alright Ollie, I'll bite, why exactly are we here?" Thea asked as she, Oliver, Laurel, Roy and Winn all gathered on an empty rooftop.

"Believe me Speedy, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Oliver said as suddenly, a giant spaceship appeared out of nowhere.

"What the hell is that thing?" Laurel asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's our ride. Barry was rather vague, but he said something about picking us up and I'm assuming this is our ride." Oliver said as the ship landed and a door opened to reveal Barry.

"Good guess Oliver. Come on board and everything will be explained." Barry said.

"Cool." Roy said as Oliver walked up onto the ship and he and Winn followed and after some hesitation, the girls followed.

* * *

"Whoa, this place is sweet." Thea marveled as she took a look around the Waverider.

"Oh, I probably should've told you this before, but there are some new faces and my team already revealed our identities to them and the captain, this Rip Hunter guy, claims he's from the future and already knows yours." Barry said.

"Thanks for the heads up." Laurel said as they approached the bridge.

"Mr. Queen, it's truly an honor." Rip said as he held out his hand, which Oliver shook.

"It is?" Oliver asked.

"Of course, after all, in the time I'm from, Green Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, you're all known as heroes of legend. The best of the best, so to get to meet you, it's quite an honor several people in my time would kill to have." Rip said, causing Oliver, Barry and Kara to all exchange smirks with each other at the sound of that.

"What about the rest of us?" Thea asked.

"Well, you're not quite as famous as your brother, but Frostbite, Black Canary, Arsenal, Vibe, Killer Frost, all of you are known as heroes. However, I can't reveal too much of the future to you, since it's dangerous to know too much." Rip said and they all nodded.

"So, what's this all about?" Oliver asked.

"We were facing some sort of ancient Egyptian mystic named Vandal Savage who was hunting Carter and Kendra here. We saved them, but Savage got away and then this Rip guy showed up." Cisco said.

"Yes, because if you want to stop Savage for good, then you'll need my help." Rip said.

"How so?" Laurel asked.

"Because no one knows more about Vandal Savage than I do, since I've been hunting him for years." Rip said.

"Why?" Caitlin asked.

"In the future, Savage rises to power to rule the world and in 2166, he murders my wife and son. Ever since I've become devoted to hunting him down and stopping his rise to power. However, until recently, my plan was opposed by my former bosses, the Time Masters." Rip said.

"What happened?" Oliver asked, since this was new information, even to him, Barry, Kara and Cisco.

"It turns that in the year 2175, Earth is invaded by an alien race known as Thanagarians and the time masters were actually helping Savage consolidate his power to unite the world under a single leader to give it a chance to survive. However, it turns out that Savage was playing them like they played me." Rip said.

"How so?" Kara asked.

"While Savage did do as they asked, he's secretly been putting his own plan into action. A plan to erase time itself. And once he was sure he'd acquired what he needed to do so, he turned on the time masters and all of them but myself out." Rip said.

"So, typical villain doublecross then." Barry said.

"Pretty much. I've been tracking Savage ever since and trying to stop him from implementing his plan and not only save my family, but also time itself." Rip said.

"So why do you need us?" Carter finally asked.

"Because the only way to truly kill Savage is to have either you or Ms. Saunders deal the final blow using an artifact that was present the night of your first death." Rip said.

"Do you know what Savage is planning?" Roy asked.

"Given the evidence I've managed to procure, my best guess is that he's trying to use the same technology that gave him and you two your powers. If he uses the blood taken from all three of you and detonates three of the meteorites containing the thanagarian technology that gave you your powers in three different time periods, it would result in a time quake that would send the earth back to ancient Egypt." Rip said.

"But doing so could also mean his downfall." Barry said, causing everyone to look at him.

"What?" Barry asked.

"Go on Mr. Allen." Rip said.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the meteor's radiation that gave you three your powers?" Barry asked Carter, who nodded.

"Yes." Carter said and now Oliver began to see where Barry was going with this.

"Then it stands to reason that the radiation works both ways. If he's exposed to enough of it, Savage becomes just a normal man who can be killed by normal means." Oliver said.

"Then we'd just need to kill him three times while also stopping the meteors from going off." Kara said.

"We'll need more help to pull that off." Laurel noted, though Rip seemed to like this idea.

"Gideon, set a course for National City, I imagine there are some heroes there who won't mind lending a hand." Rip said.

"Right away Captain." Gideon said as she appeared.

"Cool AI." Cisco said.

"We still have things to do, such as getting Kendra to emerge into her powers and figuring out which time periods Savage is going to do pull this off in." Barry said.

"I can emerge when we get to National City, since even though Carter told me how to do it, until now, I was still skeptical, but I guess I might as well try and believe it." Kendra said.

"Good. Now, let's get ready to save all of history." Barry said with a grin.


	117. Chapter 117

"Okay then, now that we're all assembled and brought up to speed, we can begin to go over the plan." Rip said.

"So, how exactly do we kill this Savage guy?" Sara asked.

"Well, we've already confirmed that the radiation Savage is planning on unleashing throughout history will be more than enough to render him mortal and I have Gideon currently trying to determine which time periods he is going to be setting them off in." Rip said.

"And I've just confirmed them captain." Gideon said.

"How?" Kara asked.

"In 1958, there was a very rare alignment between the planets Earth and Thanagar. Coincidentally, a meteor similar to the one that gave Mr. Hall and Ms. Saunders their powers landed on Earth in that time period. I've cross referenced the historical record of both planets' orbits and the next two times they will be in the same alignment are 1975 and 2021." Gideon said.

"But Savage would still have to do this in three different time periods." Roy said.

"That's the beauty part about being an immortal with the ability to time travel. He can. Savage can go back in time to his former selves and inform them of this plan and also provide them with the means to activate it." Barry said.

"But I thought that they needed blood from all three of us to work. He's only got blood from himself and Carter." Kendra said.

"In this incarnation yes, but another perk of time travel is that he can simply go back to another time he killed you after you emerged and collect your blood then. I imagine he'll have quite a few options to go back to." Rip said.

"So, now that we know that, what's the plan?" Oliver asked.

"It's simple really. We break off into three teams and each go after Savage in a different time period. Once the radiation reaches critical mass, Savage will be mortal." Rip said.

"Then we just have to kill Savage three times." Laurel said.

"Exactly." Rip said.

"Should each team go after one?" Kara asked.

"No. We should mix our teams, since I know some people here have a bit of an aversion to killing." Oliver said as he looked over at Barry and Kara.

"Good plan. Now we just need to decide who goes where and when." Rip said.

* * *

"Team one in position." Green Arrow said in Harmony Falls, 1958, along with The Atom, Phoenix, Arsenal and Firestorm.

"How long do we have to wait?" Arsenal asked as they watched Savage approach the meteorite that had landed there.

"We have to wait until the meteor reaches critical mass." Atom said.

"And when will that be?" Arsenal asked.

"When he starts the ritual in each time period." Atom said.

* * *

"Team two in position." Flash said as he, White Canary, Black Canary, Vibe, Steel and Frostbite stood behind crates on a dock in Norway, 1975.

"What's happening?" Frostbite asked as they watched Savage.

"It looks like some kind of buy gone bad." White Canary said as they watched Savage kill the people he'd been meeting with over the meteor.

* * *

"Team three in position." Supergirl said as she, Rip, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Killer Frost, Kid Flash and Vortex hiding out on a rooftop in St. Roch, 2021.

"All teams are in position." Felicity said from the Waverider as she and Winn ran the backend for all 3 teams in three different time periods.

"Wait until the ritual begins in all three time periods, then make your move on Savage. And also, make sure that once you do, you get rid of the meteors before the detonate." Rip said.

"We will relay that message." Winn said as the ritual began.


	118. Chapter 118

Green Arrow's team quickly took care of the birdmen and now Green Arrow was fighting Savage himself.

"You really think you can kill me?" Savage said cockily as he blocked one of Green Arrow's shots.

"Yeah, pretty much." Green Arrow said simply as he lunged forward and punched Savage in the jaw.

"You can't kill me. I'm immortal!" Savage shouted, just to have Green Arrow fire an arrow right into his throat.

"Guess you haven't heard the news." Green Arrow said as he looked down at Savage's corpse and he could tell that this time, he'd stay dead.

"Uh, what are we going to do about this?" Phoenix asked as they noticed the meteor beginning to go critical.

"Uh, I think the meteor's going critical." Atom said.

"How do we stop it?" Green Arrow asked.

"I got this." Atom said.

"How?" Arsenal asked.

"Like this." Atom said as he held up one of his cannons and blasted it with some kind of red energy.

"What are you doing?" Firestorm asked, just to have Atom smile at them.

"You'll see." Atom said as the meteor shrunk and the explosion was nothing more than a puff of smoke.

"So you can shrink other things, not just yourself." Arsenal said.

"Yep. Really helps with the cleanup." Atom said with a grin.

* * *

Despite Savage's incredible skill, he wasn't a match for all 6 heroes he was fighting as Flash used a lightning punch, combined with both Canary sisters using their screams, sending Savage flying backwards into a Vibe and frost blast courtesy of Vibe and Frostbite.

"Yeah, this isn't like it normally is." Flash said as White Canary used her bo staff to put Savage in a chokehold.

"Do it." Flash said.

"Gladly." White Canary said as she then proceeded to snap Savage's neck.

"Now, what do we do about that?" Frostbite asked, referring to the glowing meteorite.

"I got this." Vibe said.

"Dude, you can't send this to another earth in a different time period." Flash said, since they had no idea at what point in time Earth 15 had become a dead earth.

"Relax." Vibe said as he pulled out a small device and used it to open a breach under the meteor, which it fell through.

"What, what was that?" Black Canary asked.

"This is an interdimensional extrapolator. They work like my powers, creating breaches to places in both this universe and to other ones, but also, these have a far greater range than my powers, since while my energy field can't even reach space, this one can." Vibe said.

"Where did you send it?" Steel asked.

"Into the sun's gravitational field. It should get pulled in and be destroyed by the sun." Vibe said.

"Guys if you're all done in 1975, they could really use your help in 2021. The jumpship just picked up Green Arrow's team and is headed to pick you guys up to." Overwatch said over the comms.

"I can get there myself." Flash said as Vibe grabbed his arm.

"Wow, you sure you want to do that dude? I thought you swore you'd never time travel." Vibe said.

"I said I'd never go back in time unless it was necessary, but last time I checked, this the future we're talking about." Flash said.

"Just checking to make sure." Vibe said, since even though Barry had time traveled before like when they tried to stop Cicada by retrieving objects from the past, he still didn't like it.

"See you in 2021." Flash said as he sped off into the speed force.

* * *

"Whoa." Green Arrow said when the jumpship dropped him and the others off in 2021 to see that while the Hawks, Kid Flash, Killer Frost and Rip were dealing with Savage and his troops, Supergirl was currently preoccupied fighting a giant robot.

"Is that a giant robot?" Atom asked.

"Yep and I could use some help trying to disable it." Supergirl said over the comms.

"I'm on it." Flash said as he sped up next to them.

"I'll take the jump ship back to the Waverider, I think I have an idea that can help even the odds a bit more." Atom said.

"Copy that. And it looks like the giant robot is the reason we were all needed here, since it looks like the rest of the team assigned to this time period has everything under control with Savage." Green Arrow said.

"Agreed, let's see if we can take that giant bucket of bolts down." Black Canary said.

"Vibe, breach us there." Green Arrow ordered and Vibe nodded and obliged.


	119. Chapter 119

After Rip had dropped them off in the present, he said he was returning to the year 2166 to pick up his wife and son, since he'd had Gideon check and she'd confirmed that by killing Savage the way they had, his family had been spared and told them that when he returned to the present, he'd be waiting to find out which of them would be joining him on his mission.

Laurel, Thea, Roy, Winn, Cisco, Caitlin, Felicity and surprisingly Sara and Wally had all decided not to go, while Ronnie, Ray, Nate and Zari had decided that when Rip returned, they'd be joining him.

"I honestly thought that you'd be going with Rip." Oliver said to Sara, who smiled.

"And maybe, in another lifetime, I would've. But that was before I met Alex. I want a life with her Ollie. And I can't have that if I'm off traveling through time, not sure if I'm ever going to come back, it's not fair to either one of us, since Alex can't leave the DEO and frankly, I don't mind the life I have now. Aside from Alex, I have a job at the DEO and I help protect National City. My life is already full of adventures, why look for a new one." Sara said and Oliver nodded, since even when he'd seen Sara as a legend, he'd never seen her like this. She actually looked like she was at peace. Something Oliver had not seen in a very long time. He was beginning to wonder if the reality change had changed Sara more than he thought, or maybe it was because in this reality, Sara had met someone that she never had before.

"You really love Alex don't you?" Oliver asked.

"About as much as you love Laurel and I didn't think that was possible." Sara said and Oliver laughed.

"Then maybe you should consider settling down with Alex like I have with Laurel. Actually start a family with her." Oliver said.

"Maybe. You know, you sound a lot like Laurel." Sara said.

"Who do you think she vents to now that you're living in National City?" Oliver asked and Sara laughed.

"Fair enough. So you know that the last time I talked to Laurel, I told her I was really considering taking the next step." Sara said.

"I do and I also know that Laurel offered to pay for the ring you used." Oliver said.

"Not sure if I'm going take her up on that offer yet, though having a sister who married into money and is also mayor, really helps when I need some extra cash, since yes I have a job, but it's also a government job." Sara said and Oliver laughed.

"Well, Laurel and I will definitely be there when you set a date." Oliver said.

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." Sara said as her phone rang.

"And speaking of Alex, I need to tell her that I'll be back once Wally is ready to speed me home." Sara said and Oliver nodded.

* * *

"So, you're not going with Rip?" Barry asked Wally.

"No, I mean yes, time travel sounds fun, but for one thing, you told me that I could do that myself, not that I would, since you also explained the consequences, but also, I can't just abandon National City, since they've actually dubbed themselves, the home of Kid Flash. I can't leave them." Wally said and Barry nodded.

"I know. That's what makes you a hero." Barry said

"I will be back in Central City for your wedding though." Wally said.

"Great, so you gonna tell me who your plus one is?" Barry asked, since when Wally had RSVP'd to the wedding, he'd said he was bringing a plus one.

"You'll find out at the wedding. Now, I better grab Sara and get out of here." Wally said and Barry nodded as Wally sped off and grabbed Sara in tow.

* * *

"So, you really want to go with them?" Felicity asked Ronnie.

"Yeah, I mean, my contributions to Team SuperFlash are limited at best, since Iris more than covers the team's firepower and I seem to get lost in the crowd a lot." Ronnie said.

"So, you're not just going to get away from me?" Felicity asked, since she'd broken up with Ronnie a few weeks prior, which was why he'd been steering clear of the SuperFlash cave, only really showing up when they called for the whole team.

"No, I'm not. I'm leaving because I don't feel like I have much of a purpose on team SuperFlash anymore. Honestly, I'm wondering if I ever really did. I guess part of the reason I'm going is because I'm hoping that it will help me figure out what exactly my purpose is." Ronnie said as Felicity placed her hands on his.

"As long as you're not trying to escape from me or anything like that, I support you." Felicity said and Ronnie smiled.

"Thanks. And you know I would've stayed for you." Ronnie said.

"I do. And who knows, maybe, when you get back, things will be different." Felicity said.

"We'll both be different people by then Felicity." Ronnie said.

"But we can still have hope." Felicity said.

"You broke up with me." Ronnie said.

"I know. And honestly, while I still feel like I made the right call at the time, I don't know, I guess some habits don't die that quickly." Felicity said and Ronnie smiled.

"I'll be back for Barry and Kara's wedding. If you still find yourself having those emotions when I get back, well, let's talk." Ronnie said and Felicity smiled.

"Take care of yourself Ronnie." Felicity said and Ronnie smiled at her.

"You to Felicity." Ronnie said and before either of them knew what came over them, Felicity kissed him one last time.

"What was that?" Ronnie asked, shocked when they broke apart.

"Something to remember me by." Felicity said with a slight smile as she walked away from him.

* * *

 **To clear the air, no I will not be doing a Legends Rewritten, honestly, I wasn't even going to have them form, but then while I was writing the Vandal Savage arc of Love Rewritten, I got the idea to bring in Rip and things just sort of went from there. I have no intention of doing a Legends Rewritten. Sorry to disappoint, but that's just not the way I saw taking this series. The most the Legends will do now is cameo appearances in the other stories.**


	120. Chapter 120

Laurel was standing in the police precinct with her father, first looking at all the newly minted police officers, including Thea, who were officially graduating from the academy today to become fully fledged officers of the Star City Police Department, and then turning to look at all the people who'd shown up to witness this momentous occasion.

"Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for joining us to witness the accomplishment of the brave men and women you see seated before you. You have all chosen a very dangerous, yet very necessary career path and your actions have not gone unnoticed. Crime is down significantly, Our streets are peaceful. People are not only moving here, they are staying here, and do you want to know why? It's because you help them feel safe. Whereas other people run from danger, you run towards it time and time and time again, and for that, we all owe you a huge debt of gratitude, so thank you. Thank you for protecting our families, for protecting us, and for protecting our beautiful city. And that is why is my great pleasure to officially dub you all officers of the Star City Police Department." Laurel said as everyone clapped and cheered for them.

* * *

"Congratulations Speedy. Or should I say Officer Speedy?" Oliver asked and Thea rolled her eyes as her family came up to congratulate her.

"Thank you Ollie. I still can't believe it. It's like a dream." Thea said as she looked down at the badge Laurel had given her.

"Well believe it Thea. You earned this and I'm saying that not as your boyfriend, but as your superior officer. You were by far the best cadet we had." Roy said, since Thea had passed every exam at the academy with flying colors.

"You're just saying that." Thea said.

"No he's not. I went through your records and Roy's right Thea. You graduated at the top of your class." Quentin said as he joined them.

"Now that is something I never thought I'd hear said about either of my children." Moira said.

"Very funny mom." Oliver groaned.

"Now, I think that this warrants a celebratory dinner." Walter said.

"That sounds like a plan to me." Roy said.

"Do you ever think without your stomach?" Thea asked her boyfriend, who just smiled.

"Hey, I spent my whole life eating crummy food and living in poverty. Excuse me if I want to enjoy the perks of dating a Queen." Roy said, just to have Thea slap him.

"Very funny Roy." Thea said.

"I am working on cleaning up the Glades though." Laurel said.

"I know Laurel. The programs you've established since you were elected have truly begun to help the Glades. The people there don't feel as abandoned as they used to, in fact they're actually starting to feel hopeful again." Roy said.

"I'm sure that's also due to all the charity initiatives that Oliver's been putting in place for the Glades to help build it up." Walter said.

"I'm surprised the board was so willing to back those endeavors." Moira said.

"They originally weren't, but they changed their tune after I pointed out all the good PR Queen Consolidated would get from helping rebuild the Glades, since let's face it, that part of the city has been falling apart since long before most of us were born and the city just let it." Oliver said.

"And over time, it's like the rest of the city forgot that the Glades was still a part of it." Laurel added.

"Until you reminded them Laurel. You reminded the city that Glades are just as much a part of it and the people there shouldn't have to live the way they have. You've really helped build it back up." Roy said.

"Maybe, but there's still a lot of work to be done." Laurel said.

"Alright enough doom and gloom, let's go get some food." Walter said.


	121. Chapter 121

Oliver was surprised when he entered the bunker to find Lyla waiting for him in there.

"Lyla, you know John doesn't work here anymore right?" Oliver asked.

"I'm actually here looking for Winn. He's missed his past 3 shifts and he's not answering his phone. I assumed that he was here for some kind of mission for your team, but I can't find him." Lyla said.

"We haven't had any missions lately. Things in the city have been quiet enough that the team has been able to get some R&R. But come to think of it, I haven't heard from Winn either." Oliver said.

"Do you think?" Lyla asked.

"Please tell me that like all other government agents, he's been tagged?" Oliver asked.

"Of course, it's standard Argus procedure." Lyla said.

"Then why didn't you just use that to find him?" Oliver asked.

"I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a communication glitch before resorting to that option." Lyla explained and Oliver nodded, accepting that answer.

"We can access Winn's tracker from here." Oliver said, nodding at Winn's set up and Lyla nodded as she went over to Winn's station.

"Okay, this setup is way more advanced than any of Argus's tech." Lyla said.

"It should be, Winn designed it himself. All of the tech we use either came from Cisco at Star Labs, or Winn. He's a genius." Oliver said and Lyla nodded.

"Yeah, he is." Lyla said as she accessed the Argus database to try and pull up Winn's location, but the signal was dark.

"His signal's not coming up." Lyla said.

"Fortunately, we have a backup option." Oliver said as he typed a few things in.

"What's that?" Lyla asked as she saw the computers begin to load.

"The tracker may be down, but we can access the last place it was at before it was deactivated. It's a new security protocol that causes the computer to not just track Winn's implant, but also store the data so if it goes offline, we can at least pull up it's last location." Oliver said and a few minutes later, they had it.

"This is the exact location he was at before his tracker went offline." Oliver said.

"Wherever he is, he's smart. He'll likely try to reactivate his tracker or find some other way to give us his location." Lyla said and Oliver nodded.

"Lyla, do you have any idea on who might do this?" Oliver asked.

"A few. My first guess would be his father." Lyla said.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, Winn never told you about his father." Lyla said.

"What about his father?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver, Winn's father is a terrorist. They call him Toyman." Lyla said.

"As in the same Toyman who was all over the news for escaping prison?" Oliver asked.

"That's the one. We had the news keep Toyman's real name off the air since if people find out he's Toyman's son, it could end up jeopardizing his job as an Argus agent, since he'll have all eyes on him." Lyla explained and Oliver nodded.

"Lyla, you need to release the name and photo of him. People need to know what he looks like so that they can be prepared if they see him." Oliver said and Lyla sighed.

"You're right. I don't like it, but you're right." Lyla sighed.

"I'll go check out this location. See if there are any clues we can use to find Winn." Oliver said.


	122. Chapter 122

As Winn came to, he didn't even need to open his eyes to know who'd kidnapped him.

"You know, most fathers, when they break out of prison, they try and avoid their sons, since they're the first ones the feds talk to." Winn said as he opened his eyes to see his father standing there.

"Really son, that's what you say to me. No, hi dad, how've you been. No sorry I never came to see you while you were in prison." Winslow Schott said to his son.

"You should've taken the hint. I wanted nothing to do with you." Winn said.

"You're my son Winn. And I'm sorry I missed out on so much of your life." his father said.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have been sent to prison." Winn said.

"It's all Chester Dunholtz fault. He stole my designs and left me with nothing. He's the reason I went to prison and now he will finally pay." his father said.

"You killed all those people." Winn protested.

"He drove me to it. He stole my designs and left me with nothing. And now is finally time for him to pay." his father said.

"For what? Stealing your toy designs?" Winn asked.

"No, not the toy design. He robbed me of the chance to be your father. But now, he's going to to suffer for it." Winslow said.

"What are you talking about?" Winn asked.

"You're going to kill him." Winslow said.

"No, I'm not going to kill him." Winn protested

"You're going to kill him for me." Winslow said as if his son hadn't spoken.

"Why would I do that?" Winn asked, shocked that his father thought he would ever do such a thing.

"Because you don't want innocent people to die. Today is opening day of the Star City Toy Convention and Dunholtz will be there accepting an award. If you don't kill him, I will set off the ten bombs I've hidden in ten different toys at the convention." Winslow said.

"Millions of people will die. Innocent people. Children." Winn said.

"No they won't, because you won't let that happen." Winslow said as he held out a nerf gun.

"What's that gonna do?" Winn asked.

"I made this so you could carry it right through the metal detectors and through security. You'll go up on that stage as Dunholtz accepts his award and you'll kill him." Winslow said.

"You may be crazy, but I won't deny you're brilliant." Winn grudgingly admitted as he looked at the weapon.

"And you share that brilliance. You waste your potential." Winslow said.

"What? I'm helping people." Winn said.

"You could change the world with your brilliance Winn, but you waste that brilliance by sitting behind a computer. You could do so much more." Winslow said and Winn decided that the best way for his team to find him was to play along, though he had to admit, some of what his dad had just said was something he'd thought himself.

"Considering the fact that mark you'll be leaving behind on this world is a terrorist, I'd say you're the one who's brilliance is being wasted." Winn said.

"If my brilliance is being wasted, then how exactly was I able to hack into that tracking implant of yours? No rescue will be able to find you." Winslow said.

* * *

The moment his father let him go, Winn began trying to figure out a way to tip off his team to the bombs, since he knew that they'd be looking for him and they'd no doubt find him using surveillance cameras.

He had no intention of killing Dunholtz, but at the same time, he couldn't let the bombs go off. Then he remembered the comms his father had given him and realized he could use them to send a message to his team.


	123. Chapter 123

"What's the status on the search for Winn." Oliver asked.

"Thanks to Argus, we're tapped into every surveillance camera in the city, the moment Winn sets foot into the view of any of them, we'll know." Laurel said.

"Good." Oliver said, right as the comms began glitching.

"What's going on?" Roy asked.

"I don't know." Oliver said as he took a look.

"Wait, isn't that Winn's comm frequency?" Thea asked.

"You're right." Oliver said as he then realized there was a pattern to the interference.

"Everything okay Ollie?" Thea asked.

"That's Morse code. Winn must've somehow tapped into our comm network using his comm signal to send us a message." Oliver said.

"Can you decipher it?" Laurel asked.

"I speak english, chinese, mandarin and Russian, but I never learned Morse Code the 5 years I was gone." Oliver said.

"Anyone here know how to decipher morse code?" Laurel asked.

"I can give it a shot." John Diggle said as he entered the bunker.

"John, what are you doing here?" Oliver asked, not that he wasn't happy to see him. If anything, he was ecstatic to see his best friend here.

"Long story, but let's just say I look better in black than green." John said.

"You left the Green Lanterns?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, I guess after fighting a giant yellow creature of fear, you sort of lose your nerve to protect the galaxy." John said.

"Okay, you'll have to explain later." Oliver said.

"Yeah, but anyways, Lyla brought me up to speed on everything going on here, including Winn being missing. I can translate the code." John said.

"Welcome back Spartan." Oliver said.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to get back in the field yet Oliver." John said, much to Oliver's surprise, but he nodded none the less.

"Whenever you're ready, we never got rid of your suit." Oliver said and John nodded as he moved over to the computers and began listening to the message.

"He's saying, Star City Toy Convention, bombs in toys and his father is making him try to kill Chester Dunholtz." John translated.

"Good work. If you're not ready to get back in the field, mind running comms for us?" Oliver asked John, who nodded.

"Okay, the rest of us, suit up." Oliver said as they moved over to where their suits were stored.

* * *

"I've got eyes on Winn." Arsenal said as the team took positions within the convention center.

"What about the bombs?" Green Arrow asked.

"Without a way of knowing which toys the bombs are in, the best we can do is try and get this place evacuated before they go off." John said over the comms.

"Please tell me the Argus tech has arrived to help?" Green Arrow asked.

"Yep." John said.

"Good, patch them in." Green Arrow said, though he was surprised when a familiar voice was heard over the comms.

"This is agent Holt reporting in." Curtis Holt said over the comms.

"Can you give us anything to help us identify the bombs?" Black Canary asked.

"Thanks to Winn's upgrades to this system, I can actually perform an x-ray scan scan of the entire convention center through their surveillance cameras. I'm searching the toys for any signs of the bombs." Curtis said.

"Let us know when you get a hit." Green Arrow said.

"Will do." Curtis said as he continued scanning.

* * *

 **Just to clarify, Curtis will not be a recurring character in this. I just needed a tech to fill in for Winn.**


	124. Chapter 124

"Holt, please tell me you've found those bombs, since we can't move in until their disabled." Green Arrow said.

"Yeah, I just got them and some good news. All the toys with bombs in them are in the same general area." Curtis said.

"How is that good news?" Frostbite asked.

"Because if you create some kind of barrier between the people and bombs, even if they go off, they can't hurt anyone." Curtis said.

"Copy that. Where are they?" Green Arrow asked.

"Far side of the convention, opposite of the stage. I also did you a favor and tipped off your friend with the cops. The SCPD should be mobilizing shortly." Curtis said.

"Good. They can help us get the people to safety." Black Canary said and Green Arrow nodded.

"What do we in the meantime. I'm pretty sure that us showing up would cause panic." Arsenal said.

"Can you tell me how the bombs were constructed. Like, will shooting them set them off?" Green Arrow asked.

"Hold on a second." Curtis said.

"Well?" Arsenal asked.

"Yeah and as if that wasn't enough, the bombs are linked, so if you set one off, the others go boom to." Curtis said.

"Great." Green Arrow grumbled.

"So what do we do?" Frostbite asked.

"We wait. Hopefully the SCPD will get here soon and while they work on evacuating the building, we can stop the bombs." Green Arrow said.

"We can't wait that long." Frostbite said.

"She's right and you know it." Black Canary said.

"Holt, can you hack the fire alarm, get the people to scatter?" Green Arrow asked after thinking for a minute.

"On it." Curtis said and after a moment, the fire alarms went off and the people immediately began making their way out.

"That trick is old school, but it works." Arsenal said and Green Arrow nodded as they jumped down from their hiding places.

"I figured you guys had something to do with this." Winn said as he looked at his teammates.

"You really think we'd let you do this alone?" Green Arrow asked and Winn grinned.

"I'm guessing you got some temporary tech support." Winn said.

"Very temporary." Green Arrow assured him.

"The bombs." Winn said.

"We've already got a plan for those. Spartan, Holt, is the area evacuated?" Green Arrow asked.

"Only people in there right now are you guys." Spartan confirmed.

"Good. Frostbite, Black Canary, shall we?" Green Arrow asked and his sister and wife nodded.

"What are you guys going to do?" Winn asked.

"This." Green Arrow said as he first fired arrows up at the sprinklers.

"What are you doing?" Winn asked as the sprinklers began pouring down.

"Giving me something to freeze." Frostbite said and Winn understood now.

"Got it." Winn said.

"Ready when you are." Black Canary said as she prepared to scream if necessary.

"You sure you can freeze fast enough?" Green Arrow asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Frostbite said.

"Good, because once I do this, we won't have much time." Green Arrow said.

"That's what I'm here for." Black Canary said.

"Okay guys, go." Curtis said over the comms.

"Let's do this." Green Arrow said as he aimed at one of the toys and fired and as Curtis warned, not only did it trigger the bomb, but all the other bombs went off to.

Frostbite than wasted no time in freezing the water from the sprinklers, creating an ice wall to shield them from the blast, though it was bigger than they'd anticipated.

"Canary." Green Arrow ordered as the ice began to crack.

"On it." Black Canary said as she screamed right as the blast broke through the ice. Her scream managed to hold the blast at bay.

"Nice." Winn said.

"Yeah, but she can't hold it forever, Frostbite." Green Arrow said and his sister nodded as she resumed refreezing the wall, since her sister-in-law's cry was making it easier to contain the blast.

Eventually though, Black Canary had to stop to breathe, but by then, Frostbite had made the ice thick enough to contain the remainder of the blast.

"Holt?" Green Arrow asked.

"You guys did it. You contained the blast. That side of the convention center is destroyed, but other than that, no casualties." Holt said.

"Good. The cops can take it from here. We need to find the master mind." Green Arrow said as he turned towards Winn.

"Guys, I think we found him." Curtis said.

"Where is he?" Green Arrow asked.

"The son of a bitch was hiding in basement of that same building." John said.

"What's the fastest way there?" Green Arrow asked.

"This is." Frostbite said as she used her ice slide and Green Arrow grinned.

"Holt, lead the way." Green Arrow said as he grabbed his sister and let her drive.

* * *

Toyman was trying to make a break for it, only to literally to stop frozen in his tracks as his feet were frozen to the ground as Green Arrow and Frostbite appeared in front of him.

"Winslow Schott, you have failed this city." Green Arrow said.

"So what, are you gonna kill me?" Winslow asked.

"No, but I am going to make sure you face justice." Green Arrow said as he punched him out.


	125. Chapter 125

Oliver couldn't help but notice that since he'd come back, John hadn't even touched the punching bag, he'd made no attempt try and get back in the field and that was concerning. Even after he'd killed Andy originally, John still hadn't completely sidelined himself.

"You okay?" Laurel asked her husband.

"I'm worried about John. Something happened to him while he was gone. It seems to have made him forget himself." Oliver said.

"Well, to be fair, we don't know what he went through while he was gone. He might've seen something so traumatic, that it caused him to lose his fight." Laurel said.

"Maybe, but since he's back, I don't know, I guess I was hoping that he'd take up his helmet again." Oliver said.

"Ollie, we need to be patient, I'm sure that over time, he'll come back." Laurel said.

"I don't know Laurel. Whatever it is that's going on with him, it's different. It's like he's lost his will to fight." Oliver said.

"Then maybe his brother should help him find it again. Especially since we're going to be down a teammate soon." Laurel said with a smile.

"You saw the doctor?" Oliver asked and Laurel nodded.

"He confirmed it." Laurel said and Oliver smiled as he kissed her.

"Let's wait to tell the others until after I remind John of who he really is." Oliver said.

"Then be quick." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"I'll try, but no one knows better than me that you can't rush this sort of thing." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"And that is why he's lucky to have a brother like you to help through it." Laurel said.

* * *

John was hardly when surprised when he opened the door to his apartment, since to his surprise, Oliver had continued paying his lease while he was gone, to find Oliver standing there.

"You here for a thank you for keeping my place for me?" John asked dryly as he showed Oliver in.

"You that's not why I'm here John. I'm concerned about you. It's like you've lost your will to fight. Which is weird since I thought will was what a Green Lantern got his power from." Oliver said.

"I'm not a green lantern anymore Oliver. Frankly, I wish I never had been." John said.

"And that is part of what worries me, since you seemed more complete when you were a lantern than I've ever seen you before, so changed John? I want to help you, but you need to let me." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I don't want to talk about it." John said.

"John, you know I'm not gonna leave this alone. Whatever it is that happened to you, it's clearly still affecting you considering the fact that you haven't even picked up a gun since you were back. And I'm not the only person who's worried about you, we all are." Oliver said.

"Oliver just leave it be okay." John said.

"John, you're my brother and you can't just expect me to do nothing me to do nothing while you're clearly hurting." Oliver said.

"You don't want to be my brother Oliver." John said.

"And why's that?" Oliver asked.

"Because the last time I had brothers in arms, I watched them all get wiped out by a creature so powerful I barely escaped with my life." John shouted and that got Oliver's attention.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"It was a routine patrol. Nothing I hadn't done before. Until me and about 50 other green lanterns were ambushed by this creature called Parallax. I watched it disintegrate my fellow lanterns and I barely managed to escape with my life and I don't know, something inside me broke." John said.

"Look John, I can't pretend to know what that felt like, but I do know what it feels like to be broken, like you can't push forward." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I don't think I can get past this." John said.

"Not alone. So you let others in. Let them help you become better. Become stronger." Oliver said.

"Maybe you're right." John said.

"I've felt like this several times over the years, but I always managed to put myself back together even stronger than before. And you can as well. You just have to let yourself begin to heal." Oliver said and John nodded.

"Thank you Oliver. I'm not saying I'm ready to get back in the action, but maybe I'm ready to start healing." John said.

"As long as you're actually healing, take as much time as you feel you need. But John, we need you back." Oliver said and John nodded.


	126. Chapter 126

"You really seem to have recovered." Oliver said to John with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks for the pep talk. I didn't realize just how badly I needed one." John said and Oliver nodded.

"Everyone needs one now and then." Oliver said.

"Yeah, but before you talked to me, I thought I'd never be willing to get back in the fight again. But you reminded me of who I am." John said.

"So, does that mean that you're going to be rejoining the Corp?" Oliver asked, but to his pleasant surprise, John shook his head.

"No, I'd been wanting to leave the Corp for awhile before the attack, since it was keeping me from going after other things I wanted." John said.

"Like what?" Oliver asked, though he had an idea.

"A wife, a family, stability. Things you've gotten Oliver." John said.

"I'm not sure about stability yet." Oliver said and John laughed.

"You somehow manage to balance being a successful CEO of Queen Consolidated, a great husband to Laurel and the Green Arrow." John said and Oliver smiled.

"Well, it helps that Laurel has a similar schedule, being the mayor, my wife and the Black Canary." Oliver said and John chuckled.

"But you're staying right?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, both in Star City and I'm rejoining Team Arrow." John said.

"Good. But you looking for work?" Oliver asked.

"Maybe, need a new head of security?" John asked.

"No, that's been filled. What I need is a new Vice President I can trust." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I don't know much about running a business." John said.

"Neither do I and yet I seem to be doing an okay job. The important thing is that I need someone I trust as my vice president and there are very few people I trust as much as you." Oliver said.

"I'll think about it." John said.

"That's all I ask. But are you at least going to be putting on your helmet again anytime soon?" Oliver asked.

"Yep." John said and Oliver smiled.

"Good." Oliver said.

* * *

That night, Oliver had called a team meeting since there was something really important that they needed to talk about.

"So, why did you call this meeting?" Roy asked as he, Oliver, Laurel, Thea, John and Winn all gathered in the bunker.

"Well first off, I wanted to formally welcome John back to the team, since he's finally decided to put his helmet back on." Oliver said and John smiled.

"And, now more importantly, we have a big announcement to make." Laurel said and now Thea was getting an idea of what it was.

"Well, what is it?" Winn asked.

"I'm pregnant." Laurel said with a smile and Thea immediately rushed over to her sister-in-law.

"Congratulations." Thea said.

"Thank you, but this also means that I'm going to be hanging up my mask for awhile." Laurel said.

"We will cover the city no problem. Your top concern should be protecting my future niece or nephew." Thea said.

"Laurel and I had the same thought. But honestly, this just makes it more important to make sure our mission succeeds. While we've managed to greatly improve Star City, I'm still not sure if it's a city I want to raise my children in." Oliver said.

"And we will save this city Oliver. No matter what." John said.

"Good." Oliver said.

* * *

 **Little note, I don't understand why Oliver and Felicity didn't tell Rene and Dinah about their baby, since isn't part of the whole reason team arrow split is because they kept them in the dark. If they really trusted Rene and Dinah, they would've told them about the baby, instead of having them find out when Star City is post apocalyptic wasteland.**


	127. Chapter 127

Laurel was taking a deep breath as she prepared to make her address to the press.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Oliver asked his wife.

"Ollie, I'm not announcing I'm pregnant yet. We agreed to wait until it was noticeable to say anything." Laurel reminded him.

"I know. But still, this is a big moment. And not just for you." Oliver said.

"I still don't know how I've managed to hold on to office this long." Laurel said as Oliver smiled.

"It's because the city knows that you're the best person for the job. I wouldn't be surprised if the people just disregarded the next election and asked you stay on for a second term and maybe even longer." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence Ollie, but I have no intention of undermining democracy." Laurel said.

"You'll do great out there. Just like you always do." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as she kissed him before he headed out to join the crowd.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming. As you know, one of my promises as mayor has been to help reunify the Glades with the rest of this city. Today I am proud to be announcing the next step we take in that journey. Today I announce the formation of the new Glades Police Task Force. This task force has comprised of some of the best and bravest officers of the SCPD. This task force will operate within the Glades and help bring back a sense of security to that part of the city, until such a time comes that the rest of the police force is willing to resume patrolling it, since while I understand why certain officers are hesitant to do so, things will never improve there until we take action. Leading this task force will be Police Captain Quentin Lance." Laurel said as her father joined her on stage.

"Thank you Mayor Queen. And now, I'd like to proudly introduce the cops who have volunteered their services to help clean up the Glades." Quentin said as several officers, including Thea and Roy, walked up onto the stage and everyone began clapping as they stood at attention.

"Congratulations to all of you. I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your commitment to helping make this city a safer place for us all." Laurel said as she returned to the podium and began taking questions.

"Madam Mayor, did you appoint Captain Lance as the head of this operation simply due to the fact that he's your father?" one of the reporters asked.

"No, I do not show favoritism in this office. I chose Captain Lance simply because he was the most qualified candidate for this job. Captain Pike is still needed to maintain the rest of the Police force, he seemed like a clear choice." Laurel said.

* * *

After the ceremony, Oliver returned to work to find someone very familiar waiting for him in his office.

"I don't recall having you on my schedule today?" Oliver said to the woman.

"You don't even know who I am." the woman said.

"Isabel Rochev, VP of Stellmoor Industries, I did my research on my competitors after I took this job. What exactly brings you here?" Oliver asked.

"Well, clearly your research isn't that up to date. It's former VP of Stellmoor Industries now." Isabel said.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I still don't understand what you're doing here, in my office without an appointment. How'd you even get in here?" Oliver asked, since he already knew why Isabel was here and was now thinking he needed to have a talk with his head of security.

"Well, I heard that Queen Consolidated is still looking for a new VP and I was hoping that I could get a job here." Isabel said with a flirty smile.

"Yeah, that position was actually filled this morning." Oliver said.

"What, by who?" Isabel said, shocked as John entered the office, dressed in a suit.

"Mr. Queen." John said.

"Meet John Diggle, my new Vice President." Oliver said smugly.

"But surely you have a position open for someone of my experience." Isabel tried to reason, since she was desperate to get what she believed what was rightfully hers.

"Sorry, no openings. And by the way Ms. Rochev, I am aware of your history with this company and that is why I can say that you will never have a position in it, since I am not my father. Now get out of my building and security will be informed never to allow you on the premises again." Oliver said.

"Speaking of which." John said as two security guards entered the office.

"Mr. Queen, I'm so sorry she got past us." One of the guards said.

"It's fine, just please escort Ms. Rochev out of my office and this building and inform the security department that she is not to be allowed back on under any circumstances." Oliver said and the guards nodded as they forced Isabel to leave the office.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why did you ban Isabel?" John asked.

"Well for one thing, back when I was looking for skeletons in the closet, I discovered that back when she was in college, Ms. Rochev interned for Queen Consolidated." Oliver said.

"Why would that come up while you were searching for closet skeletons?" John asked.

"Because Isabel was another one of my father's mistresses." Oliver said and now John nodded.

"Well, Laurel will be happy to hear that you turned her down." John said.

"We are not telling her that part, simply because she doesn't need to know about it." Oliver said and John nodded his agreement.


	128. Chapter 128

**This chapter contains mild spoilers for the season 7 finale, which in my opinion, they should've ended the whole series on and had a super sad ending. On the bright side, it did help me decide what way to take the Emiko arc. No spoilers on that though. Enjoy.**

* * *

Despite having initially deciding to not tell Laurel about Isabel, Oliver changed his mind and told her over dinner that night.

"So, your father's old mistress stopped by the office today?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah, apparently she got booted from Stellmoor and was hoping that she could get a job at QC." Oliver said.

"But you turned her down." Laurel said.

"I'm not my father Laurel and contrary to popular belief, I don't go for anyone who looks pretty in a skirt." Oliver said.

"Anymore." Laurel pointed out.

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" Oliver asked her and Laurel just smiled.

"What do you think?" Laurel asked.

"Anyways, that's not the only reason I refused to even allow Isabel onto my company's property again." Oliver said.

"And that is?" Laurel asked.

"Laurel, you know that if there is one thing aside from you that I trust, it's my gut and my gut is telling that something is off with Isabel, so after she left, I did some digging and found out that the reason she was fired from Stellmoor is because she tried to launch a coup and takeover the company. So I am currently working to get a meeting with Stellmoor CEO to talk about barring her from the world of business all together." Oliver said.

"That seems a bit extreme." Laurel said.

"She can't be trusted Laurel. I can't explain it, but I just, I get a bad vibe from her and she can't be trusted. She's already tried to launch one coup, who's to say she won't try to launch another." Oliver said and Laurel shrugged.

"Fair point." Laurel agreed.

"There's something about Isabel that I don't trust. Something bigger than just her being my father's mistress. She's involved in something bigger and until I know what it is, I can't have her in my company, especially since I'm fairly certain that her taste for Queen men hasn't left." Oliver said.

"So anyways, we are all set to go attend Barry and Kara's wedding right?" Laurel asked, changing the topic.

"Yeah. I still can't believe Barry asked me to be one his groomsmen." Oliver said.

"He respects you Ollie. Honestly, you two seem a lot like brothers." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"Yeah, he's the nerdy little brother I never wanted and yet now, I could never imagine my life without him. Him or Kara really. Those two really deserve each other." Oliver said.

"I've seen you around Kara, she's like a sister to you isn't she?" Laurel asked.

"And nothing more. She and Barry are like family to me. And there's nothing I wouldn't do for my family." Oliver said as he thought about the deal he'd made to save their lives. He was still wondering how this reality shift had affected that deal and he wondered when he'd have to pay up on it.

* * *

It turned out, his question about that was answered that night. In his dreams.

The moment his eyes closed as he fell asleep, Oliver found himself back in the Monitor's realm, dressed in his Green Arrow suit.

"What do you want?" Oliver asked.

"Simply to tell you that our deal has expired." the Monitor said.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"I told you one change required another. I believe this new reality comprised of two fused earths definitely qualifies." the Monitor said, much to Oliver's shock.

"Why did you do that?" Oliver asked.

"Because, I realized that the heroes necessary to stop the coming crisis were scattered across two earths. You brought them together and in doing so, created a new reality, one where technically, our deal was never brokered, since the Elseworlds, while they may have caused the creation of this new reality, they never actually happened in this reality." the Monitor said.

"So you basically destroyed the old reality to create this one?" Oliver asked.

"Indeed. And every world in the multiverse was affected, since the surge began on the old Earth One, the center of it. As such, the greatest heroes of the multiverse are finally together. Now it is up to you, Barry Allen and Kara Danvers to bring them together and more importantly, for you to lead them into the battle to come. You can save yourself, your friends, your family, your wife and even your child." the Monitor said.

"So, our deal is no longer in effect?" Oliver asked, thinking this was too good to be true.

"One change replaced another. Balance has been maintained. Our deal is no longer necessary, for you even changed your own fate in the crisis." the Monitor said.

"I don't want to know anything else about that, I don't care, but one thing I need to know. Do I have to go with you?" Oliver asked.

"No. You are needed more here. The heroes need a leader rally behind and that is you Mr. Queen. The others are all heroes, but you are the leader they need." The monitor said.

"Thank you." Oliver said.

"You've been given another chance at everything you've always wanted Oliver Queen. I suggest you don't waste it." the Monitor said and with a snap of his fingers, Oliver woke up and shot upwards, thinking about what he'd just heard.

"Ollie, are you okay?" the calming voice of his wife said as Oliver turned to see Laurel sitting up beside him and he smiled.

"Yeah, actually, I'm feeling better than I have in a long time." Oliver said as he kissed her, as if just to reassure himself that this was all real and things quickly escalated from there as Laurel quickly got on the same page as him, though she didn't know the real reason behind her husband's sudden burst of passion.


	129. Chapter 129

"You're still trying to get things at Queen Consolidated under control? You know we have to leave for Central City in 2 days?" Laurel asked.

"I know, but I can't find anyone I trust to run the company while we're gone, since John is going to Central City with us and so's Thea." Oliver said.

"What about the board?" Laurel asked.

"I don't trust Mr. Dennis, since I'm sure he's planning a coup, I just don't have proof of it yet." Oliver said.

"Maybe Walter could take back over until we get back. I'm sure the board wouldn't mind, since they backed him before." Laurel said.

"And people think I only married you for your looks." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as she kissed him.

"We both know that the only reason you even considered me in the first place was my looks." Laurel said.

"True, but your brains are part of why I married you." Oliver agreed.

"You should go talk to Walter." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

* * *

Raisa showed Oliver into the parlor to find Walter watching the news.

"Oliver, what a surprise." Walter said pleasantly to his stepson.

"Where's mom?" Oliver asked.

"Both she and Robert are napping. We've finally been able to get him on a decent sleep schedule. Though I suspect you'll learn that soon enough. But anyways, what brings you here?" Walter asked and Oliver chuckled.

"I needed to talk to you about something." Oliver said.

"Yes, what is it?" Walter asked.

"Both myself and my new VP John Diggle are going to be in Central City next week for a wedding and I just don't trust certain members of the board to run the company while I'm gone. Especially Mr. Dennis." Oliver said.

"So you're hoping I'd be willing to come back to the company while you're gone?" Walter asked and Oliver smiled.

"I understand if you don't want to." Oliver said.

"Actually, I've found retirement to be a bit boring and I will also start trying to uncover if any of your suspicions are correct." Walter said.

"Thank you Walter." Oliver said.

"My pleasure." Walter said.

* * *

John was currently standing in a hotel room, buttoning up his shirt as he heard someone exit the bathroom.

"So, when do you leave for your next mission?" John asked as he turned to see Lyla Michaels wearing only a bath towel and her hair still wet from her shower, standing in front of him.

"Not for a few weeks, why? You know this room is technically ours for as long as we need it." Lyla said with a smile, since they were currently in the hotel room that Argus kept on reservation at the Outstrander hotel.

"Actually, I was hoping that you'd be my plus one to Barry and Kara's wedding." John said and Lyla smiled.

"Well, I do need to debrief Alex and Sara anyways on something, plus it means more time with you, so I'm in. Who else is going?" Lyla asked.

"The whole team was invited and I think most of the hero community will be in attendance." John said.

"Nice. But anyways, how long do I have to pack." Lyla asked.

"A few days." John said and Lyla nodded.

"Perfect." Lyla said.


	130. Chapter 130

"So, you're finally going to see Kazumi?" Laurel asked her husband.

"It's something I should've done before now. I've been keeping tabs on her ever since we saved her." Oliver said.

"But you realize that she's not going to trust you right?" Laurel asked.

"She will if she knows I saved her life." Oliver said.

"You're going to tell her you're the Green Arrow?" Laurel asked.

"Lies and secrets ruined her's and Emiko's lives. She needs to know the truth." Oliver said.

"As long as you're sure, since once you do that, there's no going back and there's a good chance she might turn you in." Laurel said.

"I know. But that's a chance I have to take." Oliver said as he took a deep breath.

* * *

Kazumi Adachi was currently trying to find a place she could afford to live in when there was a knock on the door of the hotel she was staying in.

Assuming that it was her daughter, Kazumi opened the door without checking and to her surprise, Oliver Queen was standing on the other side.

"Oliver Queen." Kazumi said.

"Ms. Adachi, can I come in please?" Oliver asked.

"That depends, why are you here?" Kazumi asked.

"To apologize for everything my parents put you and your daughter through." Oliver said.

"How do you know about that?" Kazumi asked, though she showed Oliver in anyways, since if he was apologizing, she wanted to hear it.

"I've spent a lot of time lately learning about all the wrongdoings of my parents and I've been trying to make them right." Oliver said.

"Including what your parents did to me and Emiko." Kazumi said and Oliver nodded.

"I am truly sorry for what they did to you. And you should know that before my father died, he did have genuine regrets over what he did to you." Oliver said as he showed Kazumi the letter his father had written.

"Well this never happened." Kazumi said.

"Because my mother got to this letter before Walter saw it. He was just as horrified by this as I was." Oliver said.

"So Robert did regret what he did." Kazumi said and Oliver nodded.

"I've devoted my life to righting his wrongs and while I know I can't make up for everything he did to you, I can at least offer you this." Oliver said as he handed Kazumi a piece of paper.

"A check?" Kazumi asked.

"No, I found out where you and your daughter used to live before my father forced you to relocate to the Glades and I bought the building. Your old apartment is yours if you want it and as the landlord, you won't have to pay at least as much on the lease, simply because I can't show too much favoritism to any one tennant." Oliver said and Kazumi nodded, since that sounded reasonable.

"Thank you, but can I have some time think about this." Kazumi asked.

"Of course, here's my number, let me know when you've made your decision." Oliver said.

"You know this doesn't make up for what your father did." Kazumi said.

"I know. But at the very least, I'm hoping it will help prove to people that I am not my father." Oliver said.


	131. Chapter 131

Kazumi had just finished getting moved back into her old apartment, since Oliver had generously given her access to enough funds to replace her furniture that had been destroyed by the fire, since her insurance hadn't covered much, when there was a knock on the door.

Kazumi checked and opened the door to find her daughter on the other end.

"Oh thank god you're alive." Emiko said as she hugged her mother.

"Of course I'm alive. Why wouldn't I be?" Kazumi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I heard about the fire." Emiko said.

"While you were on the other side of the world doing god knows what. Emiko, you know I don't approve of what you've been doing." Kazumi said.

"I didn't have much choice if I wanted to provide for you." Emiko said.

"You don't have to do that anymore. Besides, someone else helped me when you weren't even on this continent." Kazumi said.

"Who?" Kazumi asked.

"Two someones actually. First, the Green Arrow saved me from the fire." Kazumi said.

"He did." Emiko said, thinking that she should using her resources to discover his identity.

"And then, your brother of all people, showed up at the hotel I was staying at and basically began trying to make up for what Robert did to us. He's the one who made it possible for me to get this place back." Kazumi said.

"What? How can you trust him?" Emiko asked.

"Because he was here when you weren't. The son of the man who abandoned us was here for me when my own daughter wasn't." Kazumi said.

"You can't trust him. He will toss you aside like dad did." Emiko said.

"Except I'm not dad." Oliver said as he walked up.

"Oliver, what brings you here?" Kazumi asked pleasantly, to Emiko's shock.

"Because the last time we spoke, there was something I didn't tell you because I didn't want to overwhelm you." Oliver said and Emiko looked smug.

"Told you." Emiko said.

"Well, who are you?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, sorry. Oliver, this is my daughter, your sister, Emiko." Kazumi said.

"Nice to meet you." Oliver said politely, but Emiko scoffed at him.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Kazumi asked.

"It's something that neither of you can tell anyone. The only reason I'm telling you is because, whether you think it or not, you are family." Oliver said.

"And what is it?" Emiko asked.

"I'm the Green Arrow." Oliver said.

"What, you're the Green Arrow?" Emiko asked skeptically.

"Long story, but yes. That's how I know that the fire was no accident." Oliver said and now Kazumi understood.

"You're the one who saved me from the fire." Kazumi said.

"And more importantly, the person who tried to shoot you." Oliver said.

"Wait what?" Emiko asked.

"When I arrived in the apartment, I managed to knock your mother to the ground in enough time to dodge a bullet that would've killed her if I hadn't interfered." Oliver said.

"You really are him." Kazumi said and Oliver nodded as Emiko looked at Oliver in a new light.

"You saved my mother's life." Emiko said.

"To be fair, I didn't realize who she was until after, but I would've helped her all the same. Besides, I owed her and you for what dad did to you." Oliver said.

"We'll keep your secret won't we." Kazumi said, looking pointedly at her daughter, who nodded.

"You saved my mother's life. The least I can do is keep your secret. Besides, maybe you can help me figure out who tried to kill my mother." Emiko said.

"Maybe. But what exactly can you do?" Oliver asked.

"Unlike you, your sister is involved in much more lucrative affairs." Kazumi said.

"Because I was trying to support you after Robert abandoned us." Emiko said.

"What sort of affairs?" Oliver asked.

"An organization called the Ninth Circle." Emiko said.


	132. Chapter 132

"Wait, you knew that the Gambit was going to rigged and you could've warned dad about it, but you chose not to. You got him killed." Oliver said angrily after Emiko not only told him about the Ninth Circle being a terrorist financier organization, but also that she'd known about the Gambit and could've warned their father about it.

"I was angry at dad because he chose give Queen Consolidated to you instead of me and I decided that deserved what he got. I am sorry about you and that Sara girl." Emiko said.

"I don't know whether to kill you or thank you right now." Oliver said.

"What?" Emiko asked, thinking that while wanting to kill her was understandable, she was surprised that he'd ever thank her for what she did.

"The Gambit going down is what caused me to become the man I am today. The son, brother, husband, CEO and hero I was meant to be. And while I'm pissed that you got dad killed, if I were in your position, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing." Oliver said.

"No Oliver. You're a much better person than I am. Even back then, you had a good heart. You would've warned dad." Emiko said.

"If you want to atone for it, then help me find the people who tried to kill your mother." Oliver said as he held out his hand, which Emiko hesitantly shook.

"Except I'm not staying." Emiko said.

"What?" Kazumi asked.

"I need to find out who tried to have you killed and I can use the resources of then ninth circle a whole lot easier if they don't know I've reconciled with the brother I've spent my whole life hating." Emiko said.

"That's fair, but Emiko, promise that when you find something, you'll tell us. My team will have your back. You just have to let us." Oliver said and Emiko nodded.

"Thank you Oliver. For saving my mother." Emiko said.

"I've devoted my life to righting the wrongs of my family. This was just another thing on the list. But Emiko, if you are playing me, well, the last person who tried that is currently rotting in hell and I will have no problems having you join them." Oliver said.

"Don't worry. Now I think there might be a future for me outside of the ninth circle. But first, I need to find out who arranged the hit." Emiko said.

"Be careful. I just started getting along with you. If the Ninth Circle finds out what you're up to." Oliver asked.

"I'll take as many of them down with me as I can. But I know how to fly under their radar." Emiko said.

"Still, don't be afraid to reach out if you need help." Oliver said.

"I will." Emiko said.

"I'll leave you two alone." Oliver said as he walked out.

* * *

Moira was surprised when Raisa showed Roy Harper into the parlour.

"Roy, what a pleasant surprise." Moira said with a smile.

"Sorry I didn't call ahead, but Thea has no idea I'm here and I'd like to keep it that way." Roy said.

"I think I know why you're here." Moira said with a smile as she gestured to Roy to sit down.

"I love your daughter more than I ever thought it was possible to love a person. Thea has helped me turn my life around, turn it into something positive." Roy said.

"And now you're here to ask for my blessing?" Moira asked and Roy nodded.

"Just like how Laurel is the only girl I've ever approved of Oliver dating, you are the only boy Thea's ever dated that I've approved of. The positive influence you say Thea's had on you, it goes both ways. You've had a really good impact on her." Moira said.

"So, is that a yes?" Roy asked.

"Of course, but I'm not the only person you need to ask." Moira said and Roy grimaced.

"Why do you think I came to you first. I'm hoping that Oliver will be more open to agreement if he knows that you approve." Roy said.

"I highly doubt that will make much difference, but knock yourself out." Moira said with a smile.


	133. Chapter 133

"So, it turns out that our other sister is a criminal." Thea said after Oliver told the team about Emiko.

"She's a survivor who did what she had to do to support herself and her mother after our father abandoned them." Oliver pointed out.

"Fair point." Thea conceded.

"Still, Oliver, how can you be sure she's not playing you?" John asked.

"John, her mother was nearly killed, not in that fire, but by a sniper. She wants payback and I doubt she would've told me all of this if she wasn't sincere. I'm not saying I trust her yet, since I'm pretty sure she doesn't trust me either. But we're both willing to give each other a chance." Oliver said and John nodded.

"I get that, but still, be careful. Long lost sibling reunions don't always go the way we hope." John said and Oliver knew he was thinking of Andy.

"I know. But that's a risk we have to take." Oliver said as Laurel entered the bunker.

"Well, in the meantime, I've got something else to put your focus on." Laurel said.

"Wait, did you know about this?" Thea asked.

"Ollie told last night. One of the perks of being his wife." Laurel said with a smile.

"Her compensation for not being able to be Black Canary for foreseeable future." Oliver explained and Thea nodded.

"Anyways, you said you had something else for us to work on." John asked.

"Yeah, Stardust." Laurel said.

"Hot new drug in the Glades." Roy said.

"Exactly. There's only one supplier, Derek Sampson." Laurel said.

"Both of the Glades Police Task Force and the rest of the SCPD have been searching for him for months, but he's practically a ghost." Thea said, since she and Roy had personally tried hunting for Sampson.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Oliver asked.

"It didn't seem significant given everything else." Thea said.

"Fair enough. But anyways, what do you need from us?" Oliver asked, returning their attention to his wife.

"Your resources. You all have contacts resources that the SCPD don't have access to. I'm hoping that you can use them to get us a lead on Sampson." Laurel said.

"I'll check with the Bratva, John, check with Lyla and Argus, we need to check every lead we can." Oliver said.

"Looks like this time we can be a bit more persuasive." Roy said to Thea, who nodded, since this time, they could use more effective methods than they had when they'd gone after Sampson as cops.

"No, Roy, I want you to check with your contacts in the streets. There has to be someone who's willing to talk. And if they don't, well, then Thea gets to play vigilante." Oliver said and Thea grinned.

"I'll go suit up." Thea said eagerly.

"She is way too excited about this." Roy said and Oliver shrugged.

"Considering Thea's past with drugs, it's no surprise she's eager to take as many dealers off the streets as possible." Oliver said.

"Just remind her no killing. The city is seeing you guys as heroes, let's not do anything to change that." Laurel said.

"I'll make sure she remembers. But maybe I should suit up to. Something tells me my old contacts aren't going to be as willing to talk to a member of the SCPD." Roy said and Oliver nodded at that.

"Do it." Oliver said.

"Oh and Oliver, when this is over, we need to talk." Roy said.

"The answer is yes Roy." Oliver said, taking the three of them aback.

"Wait, what?" Roy asked.

"My mother called me as soon as you left the mansion and I agree with her. No man will ever be good enough for Thea, but you're close enough." Oliver said.

"Wait, you're planning on proposing?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah. And keep it down, I don't want Thea to know." Roy said.

"The secret is safe with us." John said and Laurel nodded.

"Hey, where's Winn?" Laurel asked.

"Don't know. He requested some time off. I didn't look into it. He checks in to assure us that he hasn't been abducted, but after what went down with his father, I think we can all understand his desire for some time off." Oliver said and they all nodded.


	134. Chapter 134

Oliver approached the garage that he knew was the hidden headquarters of the Star City Bratva as Alexei Leonov came out to greet him.

"Oliver Queen, it has been a long time." Alexei said and Oliver nodded.

"It has. I haven't really had need of your services until now." Oliver said.

"What can I do for you?" Alexei asked.

"You can tell me what you need me to do in order for you to do what I ask without asking questions." Oliver said and Alexei nodded.

"Very well. Follow me." Alexei said and Oliver nodded as he followed him inside the garage.

* * *

"Who is this?" Oliver asked as Alexei showed him to where the Bratva had a man tied up and covered with a hood.

"Someone who was sent to us by Anatoly Knyazev himself to deal with." Alexei said.

"Translation, Anatoly wanted me to deal with him. Must be a pretty important thug." Oliver said as Leonov removed the hood to reveal a bloodied man.

"Who are you and did you do to piss off the Pakhan enough to have him send you here, for me to deal with?" Oliver asked.

"It does not matter. The no asking questions policy goes both ways." Alexei said.

"If I'm going to kill this guy, I'd like to know why." Oliver said.

"If you want me to do what you ask without questions, you'll kill this man without asking any of your own. You can ask the Pakhan later. You two are friends no?" Alexei said and Oliver growled.

"Fine, but put the hood back on him. I don't want him to see my face." Oliver said and Alexei nodded as he placed the hood back on the man's face. Oliver knew what he had to do as he used a familiar technique to snuff that guy out.

"There, now it's your turn." Oliver said.

"A deal is a deal. What do you need me to do?" Alexei asked.

"Stardust. I want to know where I can find the supplier." Oliver said.

"I will see what I can do." Alexei said.

"Don't screw with me, or else I'll make sure you face Anatoly for it." Oliver said.

"I would not dare to mess with a Bratva Captain, especially one in such high standing with the Pakhan. I still don't understand how you won such favor with him." Alexei said.

"I saved his life and made it possible for him to become Pakhan. He probably trusts me more than any other captain." Oliver said and Alexei nodded.

"Very well." Alexei said.

"You know how to reach me. And I'll do you a favor and dispose of this body for you." Oliver said and Alexei nodded as he walked away and Oliver looked after the man distrustfully.

"We'll see about this Alexei." Oliver said as he lugged the corpse into the trunk of his car.

* * *

As soon as he arrived at the bunker, Oliver decided to confirm Alexei's story.

"Hello?" a familiar voice said.

"Anatoly, it's been awhile." Oliver said.

"Oliver Queen, my favorite american, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Anatoly said.

"I need to get confirmation on something Alexei Leonov said." Oliver said.

"Really, and what is that?" Anatoly asked.

"Did you send a man here for me to kill?" Oliver asked.

"No, of course not. Why would I send a man to America to be killed when I have plenty of men here who can do that. Why would Leonov lie about that?" Anatoly asked.

"Because in return for doing this dirty work, I asked him to do something for me without asking questions." Oliver said.

"He would not dare betray you. I will personally come to deal with him and then deliver on what you asked of him if he does not." Anatoly said.

"Thank you." Oliver said as he hung up and then moved to revive and then knock out the man, whoever he was.

"Need to arrange a new identity for this guy." Oliver said to himself as he moved to drive to Argus so they could arrange that.


	135. Chapter 135

It had been a few days since Oliver visited the Bratva and so far, no luck, but considering who was arriving in town today, Oliver was fairly certain that would change and also that this chapter of the Star City Bratva would need a new leader.

"Anatoly." Oliver said happily as he greeted his old friend.

"Oliver Queen. It's been a long time brother." Anatoly said as they hugged.

"Too long. But I've been busy." Oliver said.

"Da, congratulations on your wedding." Anatoly said.

"Thank you. But anyways, I believe we need have a rat to bust." Oliver said and Anatoly nodded.

* * *

"Alexei Leonov. Get your ass out here now!" Anatoly shouted as he, Oliver and some of Anatoly's thugs approached the garage.

"Pakhan, what brings you here?" Alexei asked as he rushed out and saw the angry look on Anatoly's face and he knew that Oliver had ratted him out.

"Wondering what you're up to." Anatoly said.

"Meaning, why did you set me up and why have you not done as you promised me." Oliver asked.

"I do not serve an American. He and by extension you, are a disgrace to Bratva." Alexei said.

"Oliver Queen is the only reason Bratva is not corrupt. He saved my life and removed our corrupt Pakhan from power." Anatoly said and that's when Oliver got it.

"That's what this is about isn't it? You wanted payback for Gregor." Oliver said.

"He knew his priorities. You were a fool to kill him." Alexei said.

"Gregor was crooked and stole from Bratva." Anatoly said.

"I will not work for an American." Alexei said.

"This American is my most trusted captain. By refusing him, you bring shame to Bratva and insult me." Anatoly said angrily.

"My Pakhan, would you like me to deal with him?" Oliver asked.

"Please." Anatoly said as Oliver quickly pulled out a gun and shot Alexei in the head.

"Thank you." Anatoly said as he gestured for his men to pick up the body.

"Now, what was it you asked of Leonov?" Anatoly asked Oliver.

"A location on the supplier of Stardust, Derek Sampson." Oliver said.

"I will see to it that you get that information. I will let you know when I've appointed a new head of this chapter of Bratva." Anatoly said and Oliver nodded.

"Thank you." Oliver said.

"Thank you for bringing Leonov's treachery to my attention. I never liked him anyways." Anatoly said and Oliver nodded.

"Let me know when you have a lead. I paid my debt to the Bratva already." Oliver said.

"What did you do to the man Leonov brought to you?" Anatoly asked.

"Faked his death and gave him to Argus to relocate." Oliver said.

"I would've done the same. The man Alexei brought before you was likely something Gregor would've tried." Anatoly said.

"Agreed. While you're here, you should probably evaluate the loyalties of the other members of this chapter." Oliver said.

"I will take that under consideration." Anatoly sai and Oliver nodded.

"Thank you for your help Anatoly." Oliver said and Anatoly nodded.

"Of course you would've done the same thing." Anatoly said.

"Of course." Oliver assured him.


	136. Chapter 136

Sure enough, within an hour, Anatoly had gotten them a location.

"Most husbands bring their wives flowers, mine brings me the location of drug suppliers thanks to his connections to the Russian mob." Laurel said with a smile after Oliver told them.

"And they say romance is dead." Oliver said as they kissed.

"Okay, enough of that." Thea said.

"Okay, so now that we have a location on Sampson, do we give it to the cops?" John asked.

"No, because it'll raise too many questions on how you got the intel. But if Sampson is just delivered at their doorstep." Oliver said.

"He's right, my dad would buy it, but the rest of the force, well, they've learned to just accept gifts the vigilantes deliver to them." Laurel said.

"So Team Arrow deals with this one." Roy said.

"Yep. Suit up." Oliver said, right as Winn entered the bunker.

"Winn, where have you been?" Oliver asked.

"I'll tell you later." Winn said and Oliver nodded as they moved to suit up.

* * *

"That's right boys. Careful, don't waste a single bit of it." Derek Sampson said as he watched his men collect the Stardust.

"Boss, we're being careful." one of his thugs said.

"Good, because a contact of mine in the mayor's office informed me that the mayor actually asked the SCPD to reach out to the vigilantes. If they get involved, we're sunk." Sampson said.

"Is that why you're having us relocate?" the same thug asked.

"Yep. We need to get going before the Green Arrow is onto us." Sampson said, right as an arrow flew by him.

"Too late." Green Arrow said as Sampson looked up to see Green Arrow, Spartan, Arsenal and Frostbite standing on top of a shipping container.

"What should we do boss?" one of his thugs asked.

"Kill them obviously." Sampson said like it was obvious.

"Frostbite, deal with the Stardust, Spartan, Arsenal, deal with the thugs, Sampson is mine." Green Arrow shouted and he was very glad that Sampson could still pain right now, since he remembered how Sampson had tried to kill him back in Slabside and he was very grateful that this time, Sampson would feel everything Green Arrow would do to him.

"What would happen if I froze the drug?" Frostbite asked Winn.

"It'll be ruined." Winn said.

"Music to my ears." Frostbite said as they all moved out.

* * *

Green Arrow fought Sampson and took particular pleasure in hearing his grunts of pain.

"Even if you beat me, my guys have you outnumbered." Sampson said.

"And I trust that my guys took care of them." Green Arrow said as he quickly proceeded to slice Sampson's tendons again.

"You feel that don't you." Green Arrow said with a grin as he punched him out.

* * *

"So, Derek Sampson is currently in custody and thanks to all the drugs the cops recovered thanks to you guys, he will be in for a very long stay at Iron Heights." Laurel said.

"Yeah I wouldn't be so sure about that." Oliver said.

"What are you talking about?" Laurel asked.

"Before we jumped in, I heard Sampson say that he has a contact in the mayor's office. Tipped him off to the fact that you went to us for help. They were in the process of moving out when we got there." Oliver said.

"I'll start an investigation to find out who tipped off Sampson." Laurel said.

"Good, because if people find out that you're actually handing police investigations to us, well, I'm pretty sure you're approval ratings will go down significantly." Oliver said.

"Not to mention it could get us all busted." Roy pointed out.

"He's not wrong." John said.

"I'll handle it." Laurel said.

* * *

 **I know this chapter isn't the best.**


	137. Chapter 137

"Is this it?" Oliver asked as Winn handed him a tablet.

"Yep. Thanks to you recovering the bullet that nearly killed Kazumi, I was able to back trace it to the rifle that was used in the shooting and then through about 12 different shell companies before finally finding the buyer and getting an address for them." Winn said as Oliver looked over the data.

"I'll get in touch with Emiko, she should be here when we get answers." Oliver said.

"You sure we should wait that long?" Winn asked.

"She should still be in the country and it's her mother who was almost killed. Only right she's here when we get some answers. Besides, maybe now you can tell me where you've been?" Oliver asked.

"I resigned from Argus." Winn said.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Something my dad said actually got me thinking and in a way, he was right." Winn said.

"About what?" Oliver asked.

"About my genius being wasted just working for Argus. I'm thinking about starting my own company." Winn said.

"Really, no offense, but I can't exactly imagine you as a CEO." Oliver said.

"Same thing could be said about you." Winn pointed out.

"Fair point. Let me know when you get it up and running and I'm sure that QC will be willing to invest." Oliver said.

"Thank you." Winn said as they shook hands.

"And don't worry, I will still be on Team Arrow." Winn said.

"Good, because without someone running the tech backend, we're screwed." Oliver said and Winn smiled, though they both knew that wasn't entirely true.

* * *

At the same time Oliver and Winn were meeting, Roy was taking Thea out for a very nice, romantic and expensive dinner.

"Are you sure I won't have to pay for this?" Thea asked, looking at how fancy this place was.

"Relax, I got it. One of the perks of being one of the top cops on the SCPD's Glades Police task Force is a high pay." Roy said and Thea smiled.

"In that case, what's with this fancy date. Not that I'm complaining, but what's the occasion?" Thea asked after they'd finished eating dinner.

"What, can't a man take his girlfriend out of for a nice dinner every now and then?" Roy asked and Thea raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" Roy asked.

"What do you want Roy?" Thea asked.

"To ask you something. Something very important." Roy said.

"And that is?" Thea asked and Roy smiled as he got down on one knee, much to Thea's surprise.

"Thea Dearden Queen. Will you marry me?" Roy asked as Thea covered her mouth in shock as Roy produced a ruby ring from his pocket.

"Yes." Thea said immediately once the shock had worn off and Roy grinned as everyone else in the restaurant began clapping for the newly engaged couple as Roy slid the ring on to Thea's finger before pulling her in for a passionate kiss.

"Wait, my family?" Thea asked when they broke apart.

"I spoke with both your mother and especially your brother and they both approved, though your brother did threaten to kill me if I hurt you." Roy said and Thea smiled.

"You know he'll never get the chance." Thea said with a smile as her eyes briefly flashed silver to remind Roy how she could keep could keep him in line.

"Yeah, but did you really expect me to tell him that?" Roy asked and Thea laughed.

"Fair point. But anyways, should we just skip dessert and head back home?" Thea asked and Roy smiled.

"I don't know, I think we both have a different type of dessert in mind tonight." Roy said and Thea smiled.

"Call for the check before I decide to indulge this new craving." Thea said and Roy smiled.

"With pleasure." Roy said as he held up his hand to their waitress to bring them the check.


	138. Chapter 138

"You sure this is the place?" Emiko asked as she and Oliver entered the apartment Winn had directed them to.

"Pretty sure. Winn tracked the bullet I recovered from the fire to rifle and then eventually to the buyer. I've learned to just call him a genius and move on." Oliver and Emiko nodded.

"Thank you for calling me with this." Emiko said.

"Of course. It's your mother who was almost murdered, only right you get to help us find out by who." Oliver said and Emiko nodded.

"I'll check upstairs, you search down here." Oliver said and Emiko nodded as she walked over the dresser and after shuffling through the drawers, she found a hidden compartment with the rifle that was used to try and kill her mother.

"Oliver, I found." Emiko said as a man who was familiar to her interrupted her.

"Nothing!" the man said.

"You." Emiko said angrily as the man moved to attack her, only to be shot in the shoulder as Green Arrow appeared.

"You think an arrow is gonna stop me?" The man asked.

"I think a tranq arrow will." Green Arrow said as the man fell over.

"Do you know him?" Green Arrow asked his sister.

"He's called Bear and he's one of the Longbow Hunters." Emiko said.

"Longbow Hunters. I thought they were extinct." Oliver said.

"Trust me, they're not. The Ninth Circle has been using them for centuries." Emiko said.

"Then what are they doing wrapped up in your mother's attempted murder." Oliver asked.

"Let's find out." Emiko growled.

* * *

When Bear came to, he found himself strapped to a chair and the Green Arrow and Emiko standing over him.

"Who hired you to kill Kazumi Adachi?" Green Arrow asked.

"Kazumi who?" Bear asked.

"Wrong answer." Emiko snarled as she punched him.

"You should know that I'm the only reason Emiko hasn't killed you yet. I can always change my mind. How do you want this to go?" Green Arrow asked.

"You guys can chop off all 10 of my fingers, and it won't matter. I have no idea who hired me. They never contacted me directly." Bear said.

"Then how'd they offer you the job?" Emiko asked.

"They directed me to a drop-off location. Once I got there, found a coin." Bear said.

"Was it an Italian florin?" Emiko asked as she started to get an idea on who was responsible for this.

"No idea. All I know is that it was old. There was a microchip inside, instructions to get my weapon, the target. Once the job was completed, they wired my payment from a bank account in Switzerland." Bear said and Emiko snarled.

"You better be telling the truth or I'll kill you." Emiko said as she barged out with Green Arrow quickly following her.

"Emiko, you know who did this?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah I do. His name is Dante and he was more of a father to me than Robert ever was. He's the one who got me into the Ninth Circle." Emiko said.

"Why would he try to have your mother killed?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know but Oliver we are going to find out and then we are going burn the ninth circle to the ground. I'll turn over everything I know about them to Argus and considering I used to lead them, that is everything." Emiko said.

"You're really trying to redeem yourself." Oliver said, impressed.

"Maybe I wasn't a Queen before, but maybe I can be one now." Emiko said.

"As far as I'm concerned, you already are one." Oliver said and Emiko actually smiled at her brother as they climbed into the van and headed out.


	139. Chapter 139

"So, what's the plan?" Thea asked.

"I've already contacted Dante and setup a meeting with him, he just doesn't realize that I know he tried to have my mother killed." Emiko said.

"Are you going to kill him immediately?" Oliver asked.

"No, first I want to know why he tried to have my mother killed. Once he tells me that, then he's a dead man. Once Dante is dead, I will tell the Argus director everything about the Ninth Circle, in exchange for immunity." Emiko said.

"I'm sure Lyla will agree to that." Oliver said and Emiko smiled.

"So, when's the meet?" John asked.

"He should arrive in Star City tomorrow night and I've arranged to have him meet me at an old warehouse. He thinks it's just a typical meeting." Emiko said.

"But what it will really be is an ambush. We'll be there ready to take to Dante out." Oliver said.

"No one kills him but me. This is personal." Emiko said.

"We're just going to be there to make sure he doesn't get away." Oliver assured her.

"Good." Emiko said, relieved.

"So, what are you planning on doing after you leave the Ninth Circle." John asked.

"Actually, after I sell them out, I won't be sticking around long." Emiko said.

"You're running." Oliver said.

"The Ninth Circle will come after me for betraying them. I can't risk putting the people I care about in danger by staying here." Emiko said.

"And that is probably the worst decision you could make." Oliver said.

"What do you mean? Sounds like a good plan to me." Roy said.

"I'm looking at it from the big picture. The way I see it, why would the ninth circle waste money and resources searching the world for you when they know you have soft targets right here in Star City that could be used to lure back to Star City. Seems like it would be smarter to use targets like your mother to force you to come back." Oliver said.

"You have a point, but if I stay I'm a sitting duck." Emiko said.

"If you stay, you'll have a team backing you up. I've fought some of the deadliest men on this planet and walked away the victor. Ra's al Ghul, Damien Darhk, Malcolm Merlyn, all dead." Oliver said.

"Not to mention you have a sister with literal cool powers and a love for beating up bad guys." Thea said.

"Not sure if we're actually sisters." Emiko said.

"Thea is dad's legal daughter, as far as the law is concerned, you're sisters." Oliver said and Emiko nodded.

"Not to mention we also have the current head of the league of Assassins on speed dial, considering he's your oldest friend that you didn't marry." Roy added.

"Okay, I just want to make sure, since the Ninth Circle, they don't mess around. Once I betray them, they will come for me with everything they've got." Emiko said.

"And we will burn them to the ground when they do. We'll have your back Emiko. You just have to let us." Oliver said.

"I hope you're right. For all our sakes." Emiko said.


	140. Chapter 140

"You're late." Emiko said as Dante arrived.

"Traffic was murder. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?" Dante asked.

"Why the hell you thought you could get away with betraying me." Emiko said as she tossed a knife right into Dante's leg.

"What do you mean, I'd never betray you." Dante said.

"Don't you lie to me. I know you hired Bear to kill my mother. So, before I kill you, tell me why. The truth." Emiko growled.

"She was making you weak, just like your father did. The council had to do something" Dante said.

"She was my family. And until now, I thought she was my only family." Emiko said.

"So you finally realize that the Ninth Circle are your family." Dante said.

"No. I realized that blood bonds us all." Emiko said as Green Arrow, Spartan, Arsenal and Frostbite appeared.

"So, you reached out to your brother." Dante said.

"I'm not even going to ask how you know my name." Green Arrow said as he aimed his bow at Dante.

"Pity I came prepared for such an event." Dante said as several ninth circle operatives appeared.

"Traitors." Emiko said.

"You're the traitor now Emiko. Unfortunately for you, I brought an army." Dante said.

"Look around. So did I." Emiko said as Team Arrow gathered behind her.

"Stand down Dante and we'll make it quick." Green Arrow said.

"The ninth circle does not tolerate traitors Mr. Queen. And that is what your sister is now. Kill them all." Dante said.

"This is your party, what should we do?" Green Arrow asked Emiko.

"You heard the man, kill them all." Emiko said.

"You heard her." Green Arrow said as he let his arrow fly and the battle began.

* * *

"You should've aimed for my heart with that knife." Dante said to Emiko as they fought.

"I have more than one." Emiko said as Dante pushed her away.

"You forget that I taught you how to fight." Dante said, right as an pierced his arm and they turned to see Green Arrow standing there, a bunch of Ninth Circle thugs lying on the ground behind him.

"But you didn't teach me anything." Green Arrow said as he fired another arrow at Dante and this time, Emiko fired one as well as the two siblings teamed up.

"You can't beat us both Dante." Emiko said.

"Let's test that theory shall we." Dante said as he tossed knives at both of them, only for both Green Arrow and Emiko to dodge them and fired arrows at him, only for him to duck.

"You two really think you can stop me?" Dante asked.

"I say we find out." Green Arrow said as he lunged at Dante, who immediately dodged and caught Green Arrow's bow with his knife.

"You seem to be the only one fighting me here." Dante said and Green Arrow grinned.

"No. I'm just the distraction." Green Arrow said as Dante froze as Emiko shot an arrow into his back.

"That was for my mother." Emiko said emotionally as she pulled another arrow from her quiver and walked up to Dante.

"And this is for betraying me. Rot in hell." Emiko said as she jammed the arrow into Dante's chest, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Nice work." Green Arrow said to his sister.

"Runs in the family." Emiko said with a grin as they turned to see the rest of Dante's men nearly dead, except for one man.

"Virgil." Emiko said as she walked towards him.

"Now Emiko, let's not do anything rash." Virgil said.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, but only because I need you give a message to the council." Emiko said.

"And what is it?" Virgil asked.

"Tell them that I'm done with them and that the Ninth Circle's days are numbered. I'm cleaning up my past, which means taking them down." Emiko said as she pushed him into the ground.

"You can't just do that. You know they'll kill you for betraying them." Virgil said.

"They betrayed me first. And now they're all going to get what's coming to them. Now get out of Star City and never come back." Emiko said as she fired an arrow into Virgil's leg to make a point as he quickly moved to limp away.

"Thanks for having my back." Emiko said as she turned to face her brother.

"Of course. Welcome to the team. Artemis." Green Arrow said.

"What?" Emiko asked.

"You need a codename to be on this team." Green Arrow said.

"Artemis. Huh, I like it. The name of a goddess." Emiko said and Oliver smiled.


	141. Chapter 141

Laurel's maternity leave had started at City Hall since she was getting closer to her due date and the closer she got to it, the more anxious she got.

"Ollie, can we talk?" Laurel asked.

"I've hated every time you've said those words but yeah." Oliver said and Laurel rolled her eyes.

"Relax, unlike every other time I've said those words, we are married and I am pregnant with your child. Don't worry, this is not anything bad." Laurel said.

"Then what is it?" Oliver asked.

"I think we should move." Laurel said.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"This penthouse, it's nice, but when I pictured having a kid, I don't know, I guess I always thought that I'd raise them in." Laurel said.

"An actual house, with a yard and maybe a white picket fence." Oliver asked with a smile.

"Very funny Ollie, but not entirely. I don't want a white picket fence, but yes, I was hoping that we'd have a real house to raise our family in. With a backyard and a real basement. I mean, this place is nice, but I can't deny that I'm a bit nervous about what happens when our kid is old enough to know how to use the elevator." Laurel said and Oliver understood that concern.

"Okay then, I guess we're going house hunting." Oliver said.

"No mansions." Laurel said.

"Agreed." Oliver said.

"Should we do it now?" Laurel asked.

"I mean, we are in between big bads, so the timing seems right." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I argue." Laurel said as they kissed.

"I can't wait until this little one gets here." Oliver said as he placed his hand on Laurel's stomach and felt the baby kick.

"Why, are you getting certain urges?" Laurel asked.

"You know what I mean." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"I do. I've always wanted to be a mother and now I finally have the opportunity to get that chance and yet, I am terrified." Laurel said and Oliver chuckled.

"That's normal. I was a wreck when Samantha first told me she was pregnant with William." Oliver said.

"Honestly, now that I think about it, it seems a bit cruel not to let William be apart of his new sibling's life." Laurel said.

"Samantha and I agreed that William would be safest not knowing. We'll tell him when he turns 18." Oliver said.

"I understand you wanting to give him a normal life, but I can see how much doing so hurts you." Laurel said and it was true, being away from his son pained Oliver more than his wife could ever know, but he knew that it was for the best.

"The pain is one I can manage. Especially after this little one gets here to take up my time." Oliver said as he placed his hands on Laurel's bump and felt a kick.

"Ollie, I know we originally wanted to be surprised, but my curiosity got the best of me and I called Dr. Gill." Laurel said.

"Well, at least we can start decorating a nursery properly. So, are we having a son or a daughter." Oliver asked.

"A girl." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"That's a relief." Oliver said.

"What would be so bad about a boy." Laurel asked.

"Nothing, but a girl means that there's a less likely chance of them turning out like me." Oliver said.

"What, billionaire CEO by day, superhero by night. I don't think you turned out so badly." Laurel said.

"First off, our daughter will never have to fight the things we have and second of all, you know I mean like I was before the island." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"On that we agree. Hopefully our daughter will never have to fight the evils you have." Laurel said.

"I'd die before letting that happen." Oliver said.

"And that is what makes you a great father." Laurel said.

"I hope so." Oliver said.

"Hey, I know so." Laurel said as she kissed him.


	142. Chapter 142

It turns that even before she'd brought the subject up with Oliver, Laurel had been house hunting and she'd actually found a really nice lake house out in the suburbs and she'd even already gone ahead to set up an appointment to meet with the realtor. Really, asking Oliver was more of a formality to her than anything else.

That was why they were currently checking the place out with the realtor and Oliver had to admit that he understood why Laurel had been drawn to this place. The view of the lake was beautiful and it was also fairly isolated with a gated fence surrounding it.

"What do you think?" the agent asked as they finished looking around the place.

"I like it." Oliver said.

"Me to. We want to make an offer." Laurel said, since they were so in sync they didn't even need to anything between them.

"Well, I'm sure that as Queens, your offer will be very high." the realtor said.

"Name your price and we'll match it." Oliver said.

"I'll get in touch with the seller, but I think there's a good chance of this going through." The realtor said.

"Thank you." Oliver said.

* * *

A few days later, Emiko came up to the penthouse to find stuff being loaded into boxes.

"You know there are moving companies right?" Emiko asked with a smile as her sister-in-law came into view.

"Emiko, I think this is the first time we've met face to face." Laurel said with a smile.

"I take it you don't normally look like this." Emiko said, referring to Laurel's baby bump.

"No I do not. And in about 2 months, I won't look like this anymore." Laurel said.

"I haven't told Oliver yet, but congratulations." Emiko said and Laurel smiled.

"I really am happy that you're finally a part of this family. This baby could use another aunt." Laurel said.

"I'm surprised you're so willing to let me be in the family after what I did." Emiko said.

"You're forgetting who I married." Laurel said with a smile.

"Fair point. But anyways, why did you want to see me?" Emiko asked.

"Well, as you can see, Oliver and I are moving." Laurel said.

"Yeah, but I'm not much of a mover." Emiko said.

"I'm not asking you to help us move out, Oliver's out looking into moving companies right now, but I hear that you're looking for a new place to live in Star City, since you clearly can't go back to wherever it was you were living before." Laurel said.

"True. But why am I here?" Emiko asked.

"Because since Oliver and I won't need this place anymore, we thought maybe you could use it." Laurel said.

"You're serious?" Emiko asked.

"Completely. What do you say?" Laurel asked.

"Last night I checked and all my funds from the Ninth Circle are now frozen so I couldn't even pay for a towel, let alone the rent of this place." Emiko said as Oliver joined them.

"Which is why we're willing to pay the rent until you land on your feet and I think I know a way for to earn some income." Oliver said.

"How?" Emiko asked.

"Come work at Queen Consolidated. It turns out dad kept your plans on file and they're impressive. I could use someone like you in my corner and John is thinking about leaving QC to go work with Lyla at Argus, become our new liaison with them, so I wouldn't mind having you in his position of vice president, you're more than qualified." Oliver said.

"Thank you." Emiko said.

"Take a few days and think about it." Oliver said.

"No need, I'll do it." Emiko said.

"Welcome aboard." Oliver said as the siblings shook hands.

"Thank you." Emiko said.


	143. Chapter 143

Roy and Thea had decided that instead of having a big wedding like Oliver and Laurel had, they were just going to elope, surrounded by Thea's family and Team Arrow.

The wedding was taking place in the backyard of the mansion, since Thea had wanted her real father to be in attendance and by that, she meant Robert Queen, who Oliver had actually had his body transferred from the grave on Lian Yu and transferred to the grave he had in the backyard of the Queen Mansion.

The reason for eloping was because Thea just didn't have the patience that went with planning a huge wedding and really the only people she wanted there was a small group of people.

Anyways, they'd set up a small altar and John was going to be performing the ceremony, since he was a licensed minister.

Attending the ceremony was Walter, Moira, Robert Jr., Oliver, Laurel, John, Lyla, Winn and Emiko.

Oliver was serving as the best man and Emiko, much to her surprise, had been asked to serve as the maid of honor.

Anyways, Thea and Roy had both taken their places at the altar and Thea was actually wearing her mother's wedding dress as the wedding began.

"Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to witness the nuptials of Roy William Harper Jr. and Thea Dearden Queen. If there is anyone who sees a reason as to why these two souls should not be wed." John said and no one said a word.

"Roy and Thea have each elected to write their own vows. Roy, please recite your vows to Thea." John said and Roy nodded.

"I thought about writing my vows but then I decided it would be best to speak from the heart. Thea, my whole life, I only cared about myself, like a lot of people in the Glades. All I cared about was getting by and I didn't care what I had to do in order to do it. Then I met you and everything changed. Where everyone else saw me as just another lost cause, you saw my potential, the person I could be. Everything I am today is because of you. You've always been there for me, through thick and thin, for better or worse and you managed to see my potential for what I could be, instead of seeing what everyone else, including myself, saw, a criminal who was going nowhere in life. You could've chosen to love anyone else in the world, and yet you chose to love me. You make me want to be the best version of myself. I love you with all my heart." Roy said and Thea smiled.

"Thea, please recite your vows to Roy." John said and Thea nodded.

"Roy, like you, before we met, I was a much different person than I am now. I was spoiled, rotten and selfish. I'd never cared about anyone but myself. I did what I wanted whenever I wanted. But that all changed when I met you. You showed me that I should be grateful for everything I had and also that maybe I should start to appreciate the simple things in life. You are the reason I went from being the worst version of myself to the best version of it. I love you more than a person should probably love another person and if I lost you, I don't know what I'd do with myself." Thea said and Roy smiled.

"And now to the good stuff. Do you, Roy William Harper Jr., hereby take Thea Dearden Queen to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in good times and in bad ones, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for as you both shall live?" John asked.

"I do." Roy said.

"And do, Thea Dearden Queen, hereby take Roy William Harper Jr. to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in good times and in bad ones, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for as you both shall live?" John asked.

"I do." Thea said.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the city of Star City, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." John said and Roy smiled as he and Thea shared their first married kiss as husband and wife.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Harper." John asked as everyone clapped.


	144. Chapter 144

Since the city seemed calm right now and Roy and Thea were on their honeymoon for the next week, Oliver had decided to give the rest of the team the week off, which was fine with them.

John was actually also out of the country helping Lyla with some overseas mission for Argus, something to do with the Ninth Circle and Emiko was helping, serving as a consultant, though Oliver suspected this was also a Task Force X mission, since he'd been keeping tabs on Argus and he knew that while Alex had shut down the program, Lyla had reinstated it to deal with the Ninth Circle threat and he understood why.

Winn was currently working on getting funding to start up his own tech company, Schott Technologies, since while Queen Consolidated was backing him, talking about making the company one of its subsidiaries until it gets on its feet, he still needed funding to work on his products.

And while they were all doing their own things, Oliver and Laurel had finished unpacking and now Oliver was turning one of the spare bedrooms of their new house into a nursery for their incoming baby girl.

"Damn it." Oliver said as Laurel entered the nursery.

"You still can't get it together?" Laurel asked with a smile.

"I've stopped mad men, super soldiers and magic, I can figure out how to put a crib together." Oliver said and Laurel laughed.

"Ollie, are you sure you don't want to call in a professional?" Laurel asked as she looked around the yet to be completed nursery.

"No, I can handle it." Oliver said.

"Ollie, this nursery will not be done in time for our little girl at the current rate. You haven't even started painting the walls yet." Laurel said.

"You already called people didn't you?" Oliver asked, knowing the look on Laurel's face all too well.

"Yeah, pretty much." Laurel said, not even denying it.

"When will they be here?" Oliver asked.

"Tomorrow." Laurel said.

"Okay well you should not be on your feet, but I've given up trying to get you to do anything." Oliver said, since Laurel was technically on bed rest.

"Smart man, but you are right, my back and my feet are killing me." Laurel said as she returned to their room and Oliver just shook his head fondly after her as he moved to go downstairs as he heard someone buzz the gate.

"Who's here?" Oliver asked, since they weren't expecting anyone, so he decided to go check it out himself.

* * *

He was very surprised when he saw who it was at the gate.

"Samantha. What are you doing here?" Oliver asked, surprised at seeing the mother of his son here.

"Can we talk?" Samantha asked.

"Hold on a second." Oliver said as he opened the gate for Samantha to pull up to the house.

"This place is nice." Samantha said as she took a look at the house.

"Thank you. Is everything alright, is William okay?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, William's fine, don't worry. I'm actually here because my job got me transferred to Star City." Samantha said, much to Oliver's surprise.

"I'm surprised you didn't argue. I thought you wanted William nowhere near me." Oliver said.

"Well, I've been rethinking that decision in light of recent events to my knowledge. I mean you married Laurel, you're the CEO of your family's company and now you two are expecting a child. Maybe I was too harsh." Samantha said.

"Samantha, William is better off without me in his life." Oliver said.

"I disagree." Laurel said as she made her way downstairs.

"You should be in bed." Oliver said.

"Technically I just have to be sitting, never said I have to specifically be in a bed. Now move over." Laurel said as she sat down on the couch and propped her feet up.

"Laurel, congratulations." Samantha said and Laurel smiled.

"Thank you. I am very excited. But anyways, I think I should be weighing in on this conversation." Laurel said.

"What do you mean William is better off without you in his life. You're his father and you're going to be one again soon." Samantha said.

"She's right Ollie. I know you have your reasons for not wanting to be a part of William's life, but since he and Samantha are going to be living in Star City from now on, maybe you should. Besides, he's going to find out eventually." Laurel said.

"Maybe." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I know there's a reason you've been keeping your distance besides me. What is it?" Samantha asked and Oliver looked at Laurel, who nodded and the look in her eyes clearly read tell her.

"I'm the Green Arrow." Oliver said.

"Okay, that is not what I was expecting." Samantha said.

"Yeah, I remember how I found out." Laurel said with a smile.

"Please, this is much calmer than how you found out." Oliver said.

"I don't even want to know, but now it makes sense why you don't want to be a part of William's life." Samantha said.

"Actually I do, more than anything, but at the same time, I don't want you and William to get pulled into my world, I feel bad enough that so many people have already." Oliver said.

"Ollie, everyone who's joined that world chose to. No one is in it who doesn't want to be." Laurel said.

"I agree with you that William should not be brought into that world, but at the same time, I'm not looking to share custody with you right now, just visitation. Surely you can take off those days from being Green Arrow on days you have William, since I assume you'll have to cut back a bit for a little while after your child is born." Samantha said.

"We'll talk about it, but we also need to make sure it's okay with William, I'm not going to force my way into his life, he needs to want me in it." Oliver said.

"I'll talk to him, though I'm sure he'll be excited to meet his father." Samantha said.

"Samantha, one more thing before you go." Oliver said as he got up to show Samantha out.

"What?" Samantha asked.

"William can never know that I'm the Green Arrow. It puts him in too much danger." Oliver said.

"On that we agree." Samantha said as she walked out of the house and Oliver actually smiled, since despite his reservations, it looked like he might get another chance to be a real father to William, since that had always been one of his biggest regrets, that he couldn't be there for William like he'd wanted to be.


	145. Chapter 145

Since it was getting so close to Laurel's due date, she and Oliver invited Samantha and William to their home for lunch. Despite Samantha assuring him that William was excited to finally meet his father, Oliver couldn't help but be a bit nervous, though he was relieved that the circumstances that William found out he was his father would be better this time than it had been the last time.

"Hey, don't worry, everything will be fine." Laurel said, right as she grimaced a bit.

"Hey, you okay?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, it's just a bit of discomfort. It's been happening more and more the closer I get to my due date." Laurel assured him and while Oliver nodded, she could tell he didn't completely believe her, right as there was a knock on the door.

"They're here." Oliver said as he went to open the door.

"Not yet." Laurel whispered to her stomach.

* * *

"Thank you for coming." Oliver said as he showed their guests inside.

"Thank you for having us. I know the timing isn't exactly ideal." Samantha said.

"Laurel insisted on doing this before the birth." Oliver said as he turned his attention to his son.

"Hi William." Oliver said.

"You're my father?" William asked and he was a lot more open to the idea then he was before.

"Yeah, I am. Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to call me dad. I haven't earned that yet. You can call me Oliver." Oliver said as he held out his hand, which William shook.

"How come I never met you until now?" William asked.

"Well, for the first few years, I didn't know you existed." Oliver said and Samantha looked a bit sheepish at that.

"And then when you did know about me?" William asked.

"I thought it would be better to stay away, given some of the things I'm doing." Oliver said.

"Like what?" William asked.

"It's grown up stuff that you don't get to ask about." Oliver said, since he did not want William anywhere near the hooded part of his life.

"I think what he means is that it's not appropriate stuff for you to ask about. Anyways, why don't we move forward. You made lunch?" Samantha asked and Oliver nodded, right as they heard some kind of splash and then Laurel screamed in pain.

"Laurel." Oliver said as he rushed in.

"Ollie, I think my water just broke." Laurel said, much to Oliver's shock.

"We need to get you to the hospital now." Oliver said.

"Wait, what's going on?" William asked.

"What's going on is that you're about to get a sibling." Samantha said with a smile.

"Samantha, can you do me a favor and grab Laurel's hospital bag. It's in the front hall closet?" Oliver asked.

"Absolutely." Samantha said and Oliver nodded at her gratefully as he helped Laurel out to the car.

* * *

Quentin was currently talking to Pike at the SCPD when his phone rang.

Normally he would've ignored it, but when he saw it was his son-in-law, he looked at Pike.

"Excuse me a minute." Quentin said and Pike nodded.

"Hello?" Quentin asked.

"Quentin, it's time." Oliver said.

"Wait, are you sure, doesn't she still have two more weeks?" Quentin asked.

"Her water broke, she's in labor. We're headed to the hospital now." Oliver said.

"I'll meet you there." Quentin said as he hung up.

"I'm really sorry Frank, but I gotta go." Quentin said.

"Is everything alright?" Pike asked.

"Laurel's in labor." Quentin said and Pike nodded.

"Go, we can resume our conversation later. Please offer her and Oliver my congratulations." Pike said and Quentin nodded.

"Thank you." Quentin said as he rushed out.

* * *

Moira and Walter were taking Robert out to the park to play when Moira's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Moira asked.

"Mom, it's time." Oliver said.

"Are you sure?" Moira asked.

"I know it's early, but the day is here, Laurel is in labor. I already called Quentin and Thea and Roy are still in Maui until the end of the week. I'm gonna get in touch with Dinah and Sara next." Oliver said of Laurel's mother and sister.

"We'll be there soon." Moira said.

"See you then." Oliver said as he hung up.

"Get Robert, we need to go to the hospital." Moira said to her husband, who nodded.

* * *

 **Sorry, but the birth will not be in this chapter. There will still be another chapter of Love Rewritten before the birth, but I promise I will get that done as soon as possible and then get back to this story. The reason for this will be discussed in the chapter 125 of Love Rewritten.**


	146. Chapter 146

**Well, the birth is here, but it won't be the daughter some of you are expecting.**

* * *

Oliver was really glad that he'd had Winn rig up a portable sonic dampener, since right now, he was fairly certain that without it, Laurel would've blown their cover with how loud she was screaming during her most recent contraction.

Laurel sighed in relief as her latest contraction finally ended and Oliver was relieved when she let go of his hand, which she'd been gripping quite tightly.

"You're doing great Laurel." Dr. Gill said.

"How much longer until I can get this baby out of me?" Laurel asked as she panted for breath, her face coated with sweat and her hair in complete disarray.

"You're getting close. Your dilation has reached 8 cm." Dr. Gill said as Oliver placed his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Thank you." Laurel said to the doctor.

"Of course." Dr. Gill said.

"Ollie, can you please go see if our families are here." Laurel said, though the way she was saying it, Oliver could tell she wasn't so much asking as much as kicking him out for doing this to her in the first place.

"Yeah sure." Oliver said, noting he'd been banished.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll change her mind rather quickly." Dr. Gill said.

"Let me know as soon as that happens." Oliver said and Dr. Gill nodded as Oliver left the room.

* * *

"Why the hell are you out here." Quentin asked when Oliver entered the delivery room.

"Got kicked out." Oliver said with a chuckle, which Quentin shared.

"So, about as good as to be expected then." Quentin said.

"She's tired, moody and in ten different kinds of pain if I had to guess, so yeah. She kicked me out because I did this to her." Oliver said with a chuckle.

"I really did not need that image in my head." Quentin said.

"Sorry." Oliver said his mother, Walter and Robert entered the room.

"How's she doing?" Moira asked as she hugged her son.

"Well, she kicked me out, but aside from that, I think she's fine." Oliver said.

"Moira." Samantha said from where she and William were sitting, William engaged by a game on his phone.

"Samantha, not that it isn't good to see you, but what are you doing here?" Moira asked.

"Samantha and William are moving back to Star City and I was actually meeting my son for the first time when Laurel's water broke. Thought it was only right for William to be here for the birth of his little sister." Oliver said.

"Sister." Quentin said.

"Shit, I wasn't supposed to tell you. Laurel wanted it to be a surprise." Oliver said.

"We can act surprised when she tells us." Moira said.

"Okay so, did you talk to Thea?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, she and Roy were more than willing to cut their honeymoon short a day to come back for the birth of her niece." Moira said.

"I talked to both Dinah and Sara. Dinah will be on the next train from Central City and I'm not sure when Sara will get here." Quentin said.

"How about right now." Sara said as she entered the room.

"Glad you made it." Oliver said.

"Like I'd miss this." Sara said as they hugged.

"Where's Alex?" Oliver asked.

"She had a family emergency, she said she'll be here as soon as she can." Sara said and Oliver understood what that meant.

"I hope everything works out." Oliver said as a nurse entered the room.

"Mr. Queen, your wife wants to see you." the nurse said and Oliver nodded as he followed the nurse back into the delivery room.

* * *

When Oliver entered his wife's room to find her looking exhausted.

"I'm so sorry Ollie." Laurel cried as Oliver took her hand and kissed it.

"You don't have to apologize to me. Ever. This is not your fault." Oliver said.

"It hurts so much." Laurel cried in pain.

"I know, but it'll all be worth it when you hold our little girl in your arms." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as Dr. Gill checked on her.

"Okay Laurel, it's time, on this next contraction I want you to push." Dr. Gill said and Laurel nodded, eager to finally get this pain over with.

* * *

When the next contraction hit, Laurel screamed so loudly Oliver thought for a second that the dampener had failed as she began pushing the baby out of her.

"You're doing great honey." Oliver said.

"Shut up." Laurel screamed at him as she kept screaming until finally, she felt the baby leave her.

"It's a girl." Dr. Gill said happily as he held the newborn baby girl in his arms.


	147. Chapter 147

After their daughter was born, Dr. Gill wrapped her in a pink blanket and placed the newborn girl in Laurel's arms.

"She's perfect." Laurel said with a smile as she looked down at the little baby girl in her arms.

"You were fantastic honey." Oliver said as he kissed her forehead.

"She was well worth the pain." Laurel said as tears came to her eyes as Dr. Gill brought in the paperwork.

"Have you two chosen a name for your child?" Dr. Gill asked.

"We have, but before we announce it, we want our parents in here for the news." Oliver said and Dr. Gill nodded and sent a nurse off to retrieve the grandparents.

* * *

Moira instantly cooed at the sight of her new granddaughter and if it weren't for the fact that she was currently holding her own son in her arms, she probably would've tried to pry her out of Laurel's arms.

"She's adorable." Quentin said as he walked over to get a good luck at his new granddaughter.

"Thank you dad." Laurel said.

"So, what name have you chosen?" Dr. Gill asked.

"We decided to name her, Jasmine Dinah Queen." Laurel said.

"Still carrying on the tradition in a way." Quentin said.

"I didn't want her first name to be Dinah, since I want her to actually go by her first name." Laurel said and Quentin nodded.

"Well congratulations to you both." Walter said.

"Thank you. Mom, Walter, I hate to ask this, but do you mind if we have Raisa?" Oliver asked hopefully.

"She's all yours." Moira said immediately.

"Thank you." Oliver said.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but both mom and baby need to rest." Dr. Gill said.

"Take care honey. We'll be back soon." Quentin said as he kissed his daughter's head.

"Thanks dad." Laurel said as her father and Oliver's parents left the room.

"Mr. Queen, will you please come with me to fill out the paperwork?" Dr. Gill asked.

"Of course." Oliver said as he followed Dr. Gill out to fill out Jasmine's birth certificate.

* * *

The next visitors they had were Samantha and William.

"I was surprised that we were the ones you wanted to see next." Samantha admitted.

"We wanted William to meet his little sister." Oliver said and William smiled.

"What's her name?" William asked.

"Jasmine." Laurel said.

"That's a beautiful name." Samantha said.

"I'm just glad that I was here for the birth of my daughter." Oliver said and Samantha understood what that meant.

"I am sorry I kept you from being there for William's birth." Samantha said.

"It's fine, I'm over it. What's important is that we have time together now." Oliver assured her.

"Speaking of William, how'd you like to hold your new baby sister." Laurel said to her stepson.

"Really?" William asked eagerly.

"Yeah of course." Oliver assured him.

"Come on let's go sit down." Samantha said as her son sat down on the couch and Laurel reluctantly handed Jasmine over to her father.

"Now be very careful." Oliver said he gently placed Jasmine her brother's arms.

"She's so little." William said in disbelief.

"So were you were born. She'll start growing soon." Samantha said.

"On another note, while William is more than welcome to spend time with us during the day, I think that it would be best to hold off on him sleeping over at our place until Jasmine can sleep through the night, for his sake." Oliver said.

"Agreed." Samantha said.

"So I can still hang out with you, I just can't sleep over right now?" William asked.

"Exactly. I don't want Jasmine's crying to wake you up. Plus, it gives us more time to get a room ready for you." Oliver said as he smiled and how happy his two children looked as Jasmine opened her eyes and smiled at her big brother.

"She smiled at me." William said.

"That's because she already knows what an awesome big brother you'll be." Oliver said with a smile.

"Oh by the way, did you know that Barry and Kara Allen are currently out in the waiting room, how do you know them?" Samantha asked.

"They're old friends of mine, they were actually a part of our wedding and perhaps more importantly, Kara's sister is marrying Sara." Oliver said.

"Oh, that explains that." Samantha said.

"Alex probably took their jet to get here and they decided to tag along." Laurel said, since Barry and Kara actually did own their own jet now.

"Speaking of Sara, I think we've denied her and Alex the chance to see their niece long enough." Laurel said as William handed his sister back to Oliver.

"We'll go tell them." Samantha said as she and William left the room.

* * *

"You've looked better." Sara said to her sister with a smile.

"Yeah well, unlike you, I married someone who can actually get me pregnant." Laurel said.

"What about you guys, think you might ever have kids?" Oliver asked.

"We talked about that extensively when we first got engaged and while it won't be quite as soon as you guys, but yeah, someday, though we'll probably adopt." Alex said.

"Less painful that way." Sara said.

"Be quiet before I deny you your niece." Laurel said with a smile, even as she handed Jasmine over to Sara.

"What's her name?" Alex asked.

"Jasmine." Oliver said.

"She's got your eyes." Sara said to Laurel.

"Mom said the same thing." Laurel said with a smile.

* * *

After Sara and Alex left, the final people to visit them were Barry and Kara.

"You guys did not have to come all this way." Oliver said.

"We wanted to. Besides, we sort of jumped straight from our honeymoon back into our jobs, so this was kind of a relief." Kara said.

"Sara said you had a family emergency?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah, one of the super variety." Kara said and they got the drift.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before man." Barry said to Oliver.

"What can I say, I guess becoming a father has had that effect on me. I'm sure you'll figure that out yourself someday." Oliver said.

"Yeah, someday." Barry said as he thought of Nora.

"Anyways, I'm actually glad that you guys are here, since there's something important we wanted to ask you." Laurel said.

"And that is?" Kara asked.

"While we have plenty of family, in the event that something should happen to basically all of us, we want you two to be Jasmine's godparents." Oliver said.

"We'd be honored." Barry said and Kara nodded her agreement.

"Good." Laurel said with a smile.


	148. Chapter 148

A few days after Jasmine was born, both she and Laurel were discharged from the hospital and now she and Oliver were bringing their baby girl home for the first time.

When they entered their home, they found that their parents, Thea, Roy, Sara, Alex, John, Lyla, Winn, Samantha, William and Emiko had all set up a small party to welcome Jasmine to her home.

"Welcome home." they all said, though softly so as not to wake the newborn.

"You guys did not have to do this." Oliver said with a smile.

"Please we wanted to. After all, if the birth of the newest member of this family isn't a cause for celebration than I don't know what is." Thea said with a smile as she put her champagne down and reached out for her niece.

"I'm only handing her over to you now because you cut your honeymoon short to come back for this." Laurel said as she handed Jasmine to Thea.

"I'll take it." Thea said as she gushed over her niece.

"I still can't believe we're parents." Oliver said.

"Tell me about it." Laurel agreed as Moira handed them both glasses of champagne as Thea picked her's back up.

"I'd like to propose a toast to the newest member of this family. Jasmine Dinah Queen." Oliver said.

"Cheers." they all said as they sipped their glasses.

"Oh alcohol, how I missed you." Laurel said and Oliver was glad that Laurel was not an alcoholic in this reality, since she'd never suffered through the events that had caused her to turn to that life in the first place.

"Don't go too crazy on the booze yet." Thea said.

"Don't worry, I have no plans to, but I have to admit, it is nice to be able to enjoy some champagne again." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"I'm glad that now you'll actually be able to fit into your maid of honor dress at my wedding." Sara said with a smile.

"Have you guys even started planning that yet?" Oliver asked.

"Well, we've decided that we want the wedding to be in National City and we want it to be a winter wedding, but aside from that, not really." Alex said.

"Well, now that Jasmine's here, you got no excuses." Laurel said.

"Well we definitely want her in the pictures." Sara said.

"She will." Oliver said as he moved to take his daughter from Thea, who reluctantly handed her over.

* * *

Late that night after everyone else had left and Jasmine had been put to sleep, Oliver and Laurel were enjoying one of the few baby free moments they'd have for a while when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is that and how did they get passed the gate?" Laurel asked.

"I don't know. Go upstairs and keep an eye on Jasmine." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as she rushed upstairs and Oliver went to the door and after checking who it was, he wasn't sure whether or not to sigh in relief as he opened it.

"Sorry to drop by this late mate." John Constantine said as Oliver showed him in.

"You could've given me some heads up John. What are you doing here?" Oliver asked.

"There's something important I need to speak with you and your wife about. Something concerning your daughter. Congratulations by the way." John said.

"Thank you." Oliver said as Laurel came downstairs, a sleeping Jasmine in her arms and it was at that point that Oliver quickly pulled the cigarette from John's mouth and crushed it.

"We have a strict no smoking rule in this house." Oliver said.

"Oliver, who is this?" Laurel asked.

"Laurel this is an old friend of mine, John Constantine." Oliver said.

"The warlock whose life you saved." Laurel said.

"Yeah, he's also the one who gave told me where I could go to learn how to resist Darhk's magic." Oliver said.

"And if I'd known the fate I'd inadvertently bring on your family I never would've done it." John said.

"What are you talking about?" Laurel asked.

"When Oliver started learning magic, he inadvertently became the progenitor of a magical bloodline of his family, which he passed onto his daughter." John said.

"So, I have magic." Oliver said, thinking that he'd never use it.

"Yes and while I know you probably don't plan on using it, I don't think Jasmine will have much choice." John said.

"Wait, Jasmine has magic?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, I sensed it the moment she was born. Sometimes it skips a generation, but make no mistake, your daughter has the potential to make a powerful witch someday. However, this also puts her in great danger." John said.

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked, concerned that Jasmine was only a few days old and she was already in big danger.

"I wasn't the only one who sensed Jasmine's magical presence when she was born. A demon did to. And he's going to be coming for her soon." John said.

* * *

 **Sorry to end the chapter there, but I can't help it. Oliver technically does have magic, since that's how he resisted Darhk and was able to kill him, people just tend to overlook that, but anyways, since he has magic, I see no reason why he wouldn't have passed that on to his daughter.**


	149. Chapter 149

"What do you mean a demon is after our daughter?" Oliver asked angrily.

"Exactly that. I'm sorry, I know this isn't news new parents like to get." John said.

"That's an understatement." Laurel said.

"But fortunately, there is a bit of good news." John said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver demanded.

"We still have time to stop this demon before he can even make a move on Jasmine, since he's unable to reach her yet." John said.

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked.

"The soul of a newborn child is too pure and untainted for a demon to get anywhere. If this bloke tried to get anywhere close to Jasmine now, he'd disintegrate." John said.

"So what do we do?" Oliver asked.

"Well, luckily, I've already identified the demon's name. Mallus." John said and Oliver nearly did a double take.

"Mallus. You sure that's the demon's name?" Oliver asked.

"Positive. The only catch is that Mallus is not a normal demon. Even my magic is strong enough to kill him, even if he were on this plane of existence." John said.

"Meaning?" Laurel asked.

"The moment I learned that Mallus was after your little girl, I began doing everything I could to learn about the bastard and kill him." John said.

"And what did you learn?" Oliver asked.

"Centuries ago, Mallus was imprisoned by the original totem bearers of the 5 tribes of Zambezi." John said.

"Imprisoned where?" Oliver asked.

"Within time itself." John said.

"So he's still trapped right?" Laurel asked.

"Yes, but somehow, he's growing stronger. If he's able to successfully turn your daughter into his vessel, he will be free." John said.

"So we kill him before he gets the chance." Oliver said.

"How?" Laurel said.

"We already know where one of the totems of Zambezi is at this moment." Oliver said.

"Zari." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"Exactly. And we can use the Waverider to help us find the others." Oliver said.

"There's one more thing." John said.

"What is it?" Laurel asked.

"I learned that the reason the totem bearers failed to kill Mallus is because they were on short. A sixth tribe once existed and was erased from all records because they sided with Mallus and therefore, the totems weren't powerful enough to kill him." John said.

"So we find those missing totems, we can use them to kill Mallus before he has a chance to get to Jasmine." Oliver said.

"It's not that simple mate. Mallus is imprisoned." John said.

"So we let him out and kill him." Oliver said.

"You don't understand what you're saying." John said.

"I'm aware that it's risky to let a demon out it's cage, but it sounds like it's the only way to keep Jasmine safe and my duty is to my family first. To hell with everything else." Oliver said.

"I just want to make sure you're prepared to deal with those consequences." John said.

"John, wouldn't you do anything to save someone you care about, consequences be damned." Oliver asked.

"Of course I would. And I'm still suffering the consequences of what happened the last time I did that." John said.

"John, please." Oliver said.

"Alright Oliver. First, let's contact this Zari friend of yours. We'll go from there." John said and Oliver nodded his agreement.

"In the meantime, Jasmine should wear this at all times." Constantine said as he a small baby sized necklace from his coat pocket.

"What is it?" Laurel asked skeptically.

"A protective talisman. I know I said that her soul is safe for now, but there's no such thing as too much protection when it comes to demons." John said.

"On that we agree." Laurel said as she let Constantine place the necklace on Jasmine.

"Also, when she gets older, Jasmine's magical powers are going to start to develop. She'll more guidance than you can provide to help her learn how to control it." John said.

"Maybe you can." Oliver said.

"If I'm still kicking at that time, I'd be happy to, though considering my line of work, that's a pretty big if." John said.

"Tell me about it." Oliver said in agreement.

"Enough about that, for now, let's focus on saving our daughter." Laurel said.

"No one will ever hurt her. Man or demon." Oliver promised as he looked down at his sleeping daughter's face and knew that he'd literally go to hell and back to keep her safe. No matter what.


	150. Chapter 150

"So, why exactly did you guys call this team meeting?" John asked as the team gathered in the bunker.

"To tell you that Laurel and I are leaving Star City for awhile." Oliver said.

"What, why?" Thea asked.

"For Jasmine, but not in the way you think." Oliver said.

"What's going on?" Emiko asked.

"A demon is after his daughter." Constantine said as he walked up to them.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Thea asked.

"You never told them about me?" John asked.

"Never really came up until now. This is John Constantine, a master of the mystic arts. He's the one who made it possible for me to stop Darhk." Oliver said.

"And in doing so, I inadvertently made Oliver the progenitor of his family's magical bloodline." Constantine said.

"Wait, so you can do magic?" Winn asked.

"Not exactly. Most I can do is resist dark magic. Jasmine on the other hand." Oliver said.

"Jasmine has the potential to be a powerful witch someday. The only drawback is that kind of power attracts attention from demons. There's a demon out there who's set his sights on Jasmine, he wants to use her as his vessel." Constantine said.

"What? Demons are real?" John asked.

"Yep, heaven, hell, the whole thing, all real and all very dangerous. And trust me, it's never good when one takes an interest in anyone, especially a child." John said.

"That son of a bitch." Thea said.

"Exactly, but we do have some time." Oliver said.

"What do you mean?" Emiko asked.

"According to Constantine, the demon after Jasmine can't get to her while she's this young, apparently her soul is too pure for a demon to get close." Laurel said.

"And more importantly, this demon is trapped in another dimension and while the prison appears to be weakening to the point he was able to crossover to this dimension, we still have time to find a way to stop him." Constantine said.

"Which is where we're going. We've already got a lead on what can kill this demon, but it won't be easy and it requires a bit of time travel actually." Oliver said.

"So you're going with the Legends?" Thea asked.

"Just temporarily. Once the demon is no longer a threat, then we'll come back to Star City." Laurel said.

"Good thing you're still on maternity leave." Thea said and Laurel nodded.

"And Emiko, you'll be running QC while I'm gone." Oliver said and he hoped that this would go better than the last time he made someone else temporary CEO of Queen Consolidated.

"Don't worry, I won't stage a coup, I'm past that now." Emiko said.

"Good." Oliver said.

"But the city also needs a Green Arrow." Roy said.

"Well I think we two good options for that." Oliver said, looking between Roy and Emiko.

"Wait me?" Emiko asked.

"No offense to Roy, but your aim is about as accurate as mine, similar fighting style and with a full face mask and voice modulator, I think you could pass as the real Green Arrow." Oliver said.

"Yeah, I can modify your spare suit to make it look like Emiko is a man. No offense." Winn said quickly.

"None taken. You sure?" Emiko asked.

"Positive. John will be in command while we're gone, but as far as anyone is concerned, you'll be the Green Arrow." Oliver said.

"What do we tell people if they ask where you went?" Thea asked.

"Tell them we took Jasmine out of town for a little family vacation." Laurel said and Thea nodded.

"Well good luck guys." Roy said as he shook Oliver's hand and hugged Laurel.

"Thanks." Oliver said.

"You get that son of a bitch." Thea said as she hugged her brother.

"We will." Laurel said as she then hugged her sister-in-law as they finished saying goodbye.


	151. Chapter 151

"Mr. and Mrs. Queen, Mr. Constantine, I was surprised to get your call." Rip said as he welcomed the three of them and Jasmine on board the Waverider.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." Oliver said.

"My pleasure, but what is going on?" Rip asked.

"Can we please discuss this with your whole team. Specifically Zari." Oliver said, much to Rip's surprise.

"Okay then." Rip said as he told Gideon to call a team meeting on the bridge.

* * *

"Oliver, Laurel, what brings you guys aboard?" Ray asked.

"More importantly, who's this little cutie." Zari asked as she looked at Jasmine.

"Our daughter." Laurel said as Zari immediately went to pick the baby up from Laurel's arms.

"She's adorable." Ray said.

"Thank you and she's also why we're here." Oliver said.

"What do you mean?" Nate asked, wondering why they'd bring a newborn onto a timeship.

"Hunter, you're an ex time master right?" Constantine asked.

"Yes, why?" Rip asked.

"You ever heard the name Mallus?" Constantine asked.

"Only in hushed whispers at the Vanishing Point. All I know about him is that he's an evil demon so great that the time master dared not speak his name out loud." Rip said.

"Well, allow me to fill in the blanks. Mallus is a powerful demon who was imprisoned within time itself by the original totem bearers of Zambezi." Constantine said.

"Wait, people like me?" Zari asked.

"Yes, your totem, combined with 5 others, imprisoned the demon in time. That's the reason the time masters were set up in the first place, to ensure that the timeline never grows weak enough that the demon can escape." Constantine said.

"Too bad they became corrupt." Rip grumbled.

"Yes well, when your old playmate Vandal Savage destroyed the time masters, he inadvertently began weakening the timeline." Constantine said.

"What do you mean?" Ray asked.

"While this crew of yours is adequate, you're only one crew and without the time masters, temporal changes are committed faster than you can repair them. The prison has already begun to weaken." John said.

"How do you know?" Rip asked.

"Because the demon has set his sights on Jasmine." Oliver said, much to their shock.

"Wait, what?" Zari asked as she looked down at the baby girl in her arms.

"He wants to turn Oliver's daughter into his vessel when she gets old enough that he can possess her. Right now her soul is too young and pure, so even if he wasn't trapped, he wouldn't be able to touch her yet." John said.

"Keyword being yet. We need to stop him before he has a chance to use her." Laurel said.

"So how do we do that?" Ray asked.

"It's simple, the totems defeated him once before, they can do it again. We need to go to Zambezi, the home of the original totems." Oliver said.

"You heard him Gideon. Set a course for the M'Changa Province of Zambezi, 2017." Rip said.

"Right away captain." Gideon said.

* * *

After they arrived in Zambezi, it was decided that Zari should be one of the people who should go, since the presence of a totem bearer should help make the people in then village more willing to trust the outsiders.

That was why Zari, Oliver and Constantine were cautiously walking into the village of the last great tribe of Zambezi.

"Why do I feel like the new kid in school." Zari asked.

"Because the people here aren't really used to outsiders mate." Constantine said.

"Speaking of which." Oliver said two familiar people to him got in their way **(I'm not sure if Oliver still met Mari and Kuasa in the old reality after the timeline change, but for the sake of this story, he did)**.

"Halt. Who are you and why are you here?" Mari Jiwe asked as she and her sister Kuasa stood tall in front of them, the spirit totem hanging from Mari's neck.

"We're not here to harm anyone. We need your help." Oliver said.

"And why should we trust you?" Kuasa asked.

"Because I'm one of you. Not of Zambezi, but of something far more valuable." Zari said as she took off and held out her totem for Mari and Kuasa to see.

"Wait, is that?" Mari asked.

"The Air Totem." Zari said.

"How did you get that?" Kuasa asked.

"It's been in my family for generations, just like the spirit totem has been passed down through yours." Zari said and Mari and Kuasa both lightened up a bit.

"So what brings you here?" Kuasa asked.

"My name is Oliver Queen and I need your help." Oliver said.

"With what?" Mari asked.

"Maybe we should discuss this somewhere else. Is there somewhere more private we can talk?" Constantine asked.

"Come with us." Mari said as she led them further into the village with Kuasa pulling up the rear, still skeptical of the motives of their out of town guests.


	152. Chapter 152

**Just to clarify, I know in the original timeline, Oliver knew Mari, but remember, Amaya changed history so her village was never destroyed and the events of the Vixen web series never happened.**

* * *

"So, apparently the original totem bearers imprisoned a demon named Mallus into time itself." Mari said after Oliver and Constantine had brought her and Kuasa up to speed.

"Yep and now the demon is starting to break free and he's coming after my daughter. We need your help to stop it." Oliver said.

"And why should we believe you?" Kuasa asked.

"I believe that mystical root tea you make can help shed some light on it." Constantine said.

"The Lyoga root?" Mari asked.

"I've researched every mystical artifact, being and plant there ever was, I know all about it, particularly how you can use to travel to the world between worlds and commune with your ancestors. They can confirm everything we just told you." Constantine said.

"It's worth a shot." Mari said.

"Fine." Kuasa said skeptically as she left to get the tea.

"She doesn't like us does she?" Zari asked.

"She's not very welcoming to outsiders, which isn't surprising considering the last time outsiders came to our village, they tried to destroy it. Smart play however, bringing another totem bearer with you." Mari said.

"I trust them and you can to." Zari said as Kuasa reentered the hut, two cups of tea in her hands.

"We'll soon see if that's true or not." Kuasa said as she handed Mari a cup of tea.

"So, what exactly happens here?" Zari asked.

"What happens is we drink this tea and go on a vision quest where we'll discover if you're telling the truth or not." Kuasa said as she sipped her tea.

"Just sit tight and don't leave this hut until we finish our quest." Mari said as she sipped the tea and joined her sister in a similar state.

* * *

When Mari opened her eyes, she found herself and Kuasa standing in a lush paradise.

"What is this place?" Kuasa asked.

"This is the world between worlds." a new voice said and the two women turned to see their grandmother standing there.

"Nanaba." Kuasa said as she ran up and hugged her grandmother.

"My brave, sweet Kuasa." Amaya Jiwe said with a smile as she turned to face Mari.

"Nanaba." Mari said as Amaya walked up to her.

"You do me proud Mari. You uphold your duty with pride." Amaya said.

"Just like you, mother and all others before you did." Mari said and Amaya smiled.

"But a new threat is rising." Amaya said.

"So it's true, what the outsiders say." Kuasa asked and Amaya nodded.

"Yes Kuasa. I embody the spirit and knowledge of all those who came before you and it is all too real. The first totem bearers imprisoned a great evil within time itself. However, after so long and with no one to upkeep it, the prison is slowly weakening. The two of you must join the outsiders in finding the other totems and using them to stop the demon, once and for all." Amaya said and Mari nodded.

"We will." Mari said.

"You must be cautious though Mari. As the threats you face grow stronger, so will the power of your totem. You must not fear it or try to control it, but simply trust in it. Run with it." Amaya said and Mari nodded.

"I will. Thank you Nanaba." Mari said as she hugged her grandmother again before her form faded from the realm.

"Why am I still here?" Kuasa asked.

"Because there is more I need to tell you Kuasa. You still do not trust outsiders." Amaya said.

"The last time outsiders came to our village they almost destroyed it." Kuasa said.

"I understand, but you can't harbor this grudge forever. After all, I trusted outsiders myself once. Hourman, Dr. Midnight, Stargirl, Commander Steel and Obsidian. I was a member of the Justice Society of America during World War II. Not all outsiders are evil Kuasa. You can trust them." Amaya said.

"Is that all?" Kuasa asked.

"One more thing. You've noticed how the spirit totem does not react as well to you as it does for Mari." Amaya said.

"We've actually had to have a spider bite Mari to get the totem off her when it's my turn to have it." Kuasa said a bit bitterly, since the totem had always seemed to prefer Mari over her.

"You are meant to be a totem bearer Kuasa. Just not the bearer of the spirit totem. That is Mari's destiny." Amaya said.

"Then what is mine?" Kuasa asked.

"I cannot answer that for you. But a bit of advice. Perhaps the reason you've struggled with the totem is because you've tried so hard to be like me, instead of being yourself. You must be true to who you really are Kuasa before you can claim a totem as yours. You will know what your path is when the time comes. I love you Kuasa." Amaya said as now Kuasa returned to the real world as well.


	153. Chapter 153

"About time." Constantine said when Mari and Kuasa finally woke up.

"Sorry, but your story checks out. We'll help you." Mari said and Kuasa nodded.

"You realize this will require you to leave your village right?" Oliver asked.

"It endured once before when our grandmother was recruited by the JSA to fight in world war 2. It'll be fine until we get back, besides, it sounds like we're going on a time machine. Can't you just bring us back to the exact moment we left?" Mari asked.

"Pretty much. Great, so grab your stuff, we need to move." Zari said.

"We still need to inform the elders of our village." Kuasa and Oliver nodded in understanding.

* * *

"About time." Laurel said as Oliver, Constantine, Zari, Mari and Kuasa joined them on the bridge of the Waverider.

"Sorry, but it took a little while to convince them to come." Oliver said.

"Not that I can blame you, it's a bit hard to comprehend." Rip said.

"But now we're on board. But just to be clear, you can bring us back to the exact moment we left our village right?" Kuasa said.

"Correct. One of the benefits of time travel." Rip said.

"Oliver said that we'd be looking for the other 3 totems?" Mari said.

"4 actually." Constantine said.

"There are only 5 tribes in Zambezi and we've got two of their totems. Air and Spirit. That leaves Water, Fire and Earth." Kuasa said.

"Actually, there was a sixth tribe in Zambezi, but their existence was erased from the historical record after they betrayed their brethren and sided with the demon while the others rallied against him." Constantine said.

"And what totem did this tribe have?" Mari asked.

"The death totem. This totem gives the wielder domain over the dead and is essential in making sure that totems have enough power to kill Mallus for good." Constantine said.

"So, where do we look for the totems?" Kuasa asked.

"Good question. Gideon." Rip said.

"I've already located two totems in our current time period." Gideon said, getting their attention.

"Which ones?" Oliver asked.

"The fire totem has been spotted in the possession of the Detroit Museum of Natural History, specifically in the care of Dr. Adam Macalaster." Gideon said.

"I'll take that one." Mari said.

"Not without backup." Oliver said.

"No offense, but if Oliver Queen is caught breaking and entering, it'll look really bad." Mari said.

"But what about the other totem?" Kuasa asked.

"The water totem is up for bid in an auction in Star City later on today." Gideon said.

"Guess that's where I'm headed." Oliver said.

"You think you can afford to buy it?" Kuasa asked.

"The Queens are one of the richest families in the country, he can buy it easily." Ray said.

"Still, maybe you should go to Ray." Nate said.

"What do you mean?" Ray asked, but Oliver saw Nate's logic.

"It's a good plan, better to have two billionaires there." Oliver said and Ray nodded.

"Looks like the world is about to find out I'm still alive." Ray said.

"Trust me, the thrill wears off after like a month or so." Oliver said and Ray chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind." Ray said.

"Have Gideon keep scanning the rest of the timeline for any trace of the Earth or Death totems." Oliver said and Rip nodded.

"Okay then, let's move out." Oliver said as he moved to have Gideon fabricate him a suit to wear to the auction.

* * *

Laurel was putting Jasmine down for a nap in the crib she'd brought with them when Oliver entered the quarters Rip had been kind enough to give them.

"How do I look?" Oliver asked.

"Handsome as always." Laurel said with a smile as she fixed his tie.

"Thank you. Never thought I'd be the type of person to go to an auction." Oliver said with a smile.

"Any chance you'd mind some company?" Laurel asked.

"Not that I wouldn't, but frankly, there's no one on this ship I trust to watch Jasmine while we're gone." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"That's fair." she acknowledged.

"While I doubt any of them will actually hurt her, everything we're doing is to protect her from a threat that's coming. I don't want to take any chances." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"Feel free to tell the rest of the team what's going on, in case they're wondering why you're back so soon." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"I will." Oliver said as he kissed her cheek before walking out.


	154. Chapter 154

"Well, we just landed in Star City. Ready for this?" Rip asked Oliver and Ray.

"Yep." Oliver said as he and Ray began to leave when Nate stopped them.

"Wait, I just thought of a little problem with the plan of Oliver going to get the Water Totem." Nate said.

"What might that be?" Oliver asked.

"You're supposed to be out of town with your wife and newborn daughter. I think it'll draw a bit too much attention if you show up at an auction in Star City." Nate pointed out.

"He's got a point." Laurel said.

"So I go alone." Ray said.

"Or, I could send someone else in my place and buy the totem on my behalf. And I think Nate is the perfect person to do it, since as a historian, I'm sure you have quite a collection of relics, people won't question you buying an ancient necklace." Oliver said.

"That's not a bad plan." Nate said.

"Actually, I have a better idea." Constantine said.

"And what might that be?" Oliver asked.

"Ever heard of a glamor spell? I can make you look like Nate, allowing you to attend the auction without arousing suspicion." Constantine said.

"He's right, that is a better idea." Oliver said apologetically to Nate.

"No, it's cool?" Nate said.

"Let's do this." Oliver said and Constantine nodded as he muttered a spell and suddenly, there were two Nates standing in the room.

"Let's do this." Oliver said as he and Ray then headed out of the ship, though Oliver hoped he could use his normal voice to approve Nate using his funds to buy the totem.

* * *

After managing to approve everything, Oliver and Ray entered the auction house and checked in.

"Let's do this." Oliver said, trying to get used to Nate's appearance.

"Come on, let's go get seats." Ray said and Oliver nodded as they moved to get seats as the auction began.

They saw several high profile items be sold to other bidders, but so far, there was no sign of the water totem yet and they'd almost reached the end of the auction.

"And, now ladies and gentlemen, I present to you all the item I know several of you have come out to bid on and I've already received a very generous offer for it, but anyways, I present to you all, this authentic sapphire necklace originating from one of the lost tribes of the African nation of Zambezi. Now, this item is said to possess mystical powers, the likes of which the world has never seen." The auctioneer said, believing this to be a bunch of folklore, but Oliver and Ray both knew it was true.

"Shall we start the bidding at say, 500,000 dollars?" the auctioneer asked as people, including Oliver and Ray started bidding on it.

* * *

As the price continued rising, more and more people began ducking out of the auction, Ray included, until it was down to just Oliver and a dark haired woman and Oliver knew that no matter how high the price went, with how well Queen Consolidated was doing at the moment, he could easily afford it. For now anyways.

Finally, he managed to outbid his opponent.

"Sold for 15 million dollars to Mr. Nate Heywood." The Auctioneer said and Oliver, wearing Nate's face, smiled.

* * *

"Well, did you get it?" Kuasa asked as Oliver and Ray entered the ship's bridge.

"I'll answer that when I look like myself again." Oliver said as he looked over at Constantine, who nodded and lifted the glamor.

"Good, you look like my husband again." Laurel said with a smile.

"So?" Mari asked.

"One Water totem as promised." Oliver said as he held out a silver necklace with a large sapphire embedded in it.

"Nice. That's three down, three to go." Mari said.

"Speaking of, let's head to Detroit so we can make it four. The sooner we get those totems, the sooner we can kill the demon after Jasmine and return to our lives in Star City." Oliver said.


	155. Chapter 155

"Okay, we've just landed in Detroit. Mari, you ready to steal the fire totem?" Rip asked.

"Actually, I'm hoping that I can convince this Macalester guy to give me the fire totem, returning it to Zambezi where it belongs." Mari said, right as Gideon came up.

"Sorry to interrupt Ms. Jiwe, but it appears that we are too late." Gideon said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"I've been looking over police reports in Detroit and it appears that earlier this week, someone stole the fire totem from the Detroit Museum of Natural History." Gideon said.

"Probably the same person who tried to buy the Water totem back in Star City." Ray said.

"Mari, you should go anyways. You can use this as a good reason to take the totem back after we find it, since technically, it and all the other totems belong to your people." Oliver said and Mari nodded.

"I'll talk to Macalester, see if he can help us figure out who stole the totem." Mari said.

"I'll go to, see if I can tap into the security footage to find out what happened to the fire totem." Zari said.

"Do it." Oliver said.

"We'll get it back Oliver." Mari promised.

"We have to. Without that totem, even if we find the others, we won't have the power to stop Mallus." Oliver said.

"Let's take this one step at a time. First thing we do is find the person who took the totem and then we proceed from there." Rip said and Oliver nodded.

"I'm gonna go bring Laurel up to speed." Oliver said as he headed towards the quarters they'd been given.

* * *

"Wow." Mari said.

"I'm guessing you don't have museums back in Zambezi." Zari said with a smile as the two of them entered the museum.

"Very funny Zari. I won't deny that there are some drawbacks of my job, but at least I don't have to pay rent." Mari said.

"True, but still, you can't deny that you're curious about what else is out there in the world." Zari asked.

"Of course I am, but my people need me." Mari said.

"And yet you're here and not still in Zambezi. In fact, it sounds like you jumped at the chance to get out of your village." Zari noted.

"I admit it, over the years, being stuck in my village my whole life, it's started to get boring, especially since there aren't really any threats to worry about anymore." Mari said.

"So why not leave, let your sister protect your village and explore the world?" Zari asked.

"This totem is my birthright and my duty. I can't abandon it for my own needs." Mari said.

"Fair enough. I'm gonna go find a place to tap into the security grid, you go find Macalester." Zari said and Mari nodded as they went their separate ways.

* * *

"Excuse me, can you please tell me where I can find Dr. Macalester?" Mari asked one of the curators.

"Do you have an appointment?" the curator asked.

"Well no, but I think that he'll be willing to make an exception to speak with me." Mari said.

"And why is that?" the curator asked.

"Because I'm from Zambezi and I've been made aware of the artifact of my people that is in his care. I'm here to reclaim it." Mari said, causing the curator to take a better look at her.

"Come with me." the curator said as she led Mari up to Macalester's office.

* * *

"Dr. Macalester, you have a visitor." the curator said as she showed Mari into the office.

"I thought I didn't have any appointments today." Macalester said.

"Well, I thought you'd make some time for a person from Zambezi. And I believe it was one of my nation's treasures that you allowed to be stolen." Mari said, causing Macalester to look up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry ma'am, I didn't realize." Macalester said as he noticed the necklace Mari was wearing.

"I see you're admiring my necklace." Mari said.

"Yes, I fancy myself a bit of an expert on Zambezi. Is that?" Macalester asked.

"The Spirit totem yes. Now, tell me what happened to the Fire Totem? It is my rightful property as both a totem bearer and a citizen of Zambezi. That totem is the rightful property of my people and I'm taking it back after I find it." Mari said.

"Understood." Macalester said.

"So what happened?" Mari said.

"No idea, but the totem wasn't the only thing stolen. Several high end jewels were stolen as well." Macalester said.

"Well, do you have any ideas on who stole it?" Mari asked.

"No, we're still looking into it." Macalester said.

"Well, let me know if you find anything." Mari said.

"I will." Macalester said as he held out his hand, which Mari shook.

"Thank you for your time." Mari said as she walked out of the office.


	156. Chapter 156

"Well, we didn't find the fire totem." Mari said as she and Zari entered the bridge of the Waverider.

"Before anyone could respond, Gideon came up.

"Well I believe I have." Gideon said.

"How?" Rip asked.

"A minor wrinkle in the 2017 timeline, though I believe the Jiwe sisters will not like it." Gideon said.

"What is it?" Kuasa asked.

"It appears that the fire totem was stolen by now former US ambassador Benatu Eshu, who is currently using it to attack your village in Zambezi in search of the spirit totem." Gideon said.

"We need to get back to our village now." Mari said.

"Gideon, set a course for Zambezi and set the thrusters to maximum." Rip said.

"Right away captain." Gideon said.

"You all might want to hold on." Rip said.

* * *

When they arrived in Zambezi, Mari and Kuasa were surprised to see Oliver and the Legends suited up as well, along with Constantine and Rip.

"You guys are coming with us?" Kuasa asked.

"I'm the reason you two weren't here when the attack happened. I'm not gonna let your people pay for that. Besides, this is another chance for us to get the fire totem back, I'm not taking any chances." Oliver said.

"Then maybe we should meet this fire with more than just spirit or air." Kuasa said.

"You want to use the water totem." Mari said.

"Mari, the spirit totem has always held a stronger connection with than with me. I'm pretty sure that totem was always meant for you, not me. The water totem on the other hand, ever since Oliver and Ray got it, I've felt it calling to me. I don't know, I can't explain it, but it feels like that totem is my destiny. Maybe I'm wrong, but there's only one way to find out." Kuasa said and Mari nodded.

"One totem is no match for the power for three totems. Let's do it." Mari said and Kuasa nodded as she left for a moment, only to return holding the water totem.

"Let's see if it's a winner." Mari said as Kuasa placed the totem on her neck. For a moment, nothing happened, then the totem glowed blue and Kuasa smiled.

"Wel, how does it feel?" Mari asked.

"Much stronger and more natural than my connection to the Anansi totem ever was." Kuasa said.

"Then I guess you really were meant to wield the water totem." Mari said.

"Great, now that we've gotten figured out, let's do this." Oliver said as he pulled on his hood and mask.

"Gideon, open the cargo bay door now." Rip said.

"Right away captain." Gideon said as the cargo bay door opened and they saw chaos and fire.

"We'll handle the thugs, the totem bearers get Eshu." Oliver said.

"Gladly." Mari growled as she rushed out there, Kuasa not that far behind as the others quickly followed.

* * *

"Destroy the village and kill everyone until you find that totem." Eshu shouted at his men as he lobbed more fireballs out of his hands.

"You want the totem. Here it is." Mari said as she appeared.

"So, you finally came to give me the totem." Eshu said.

"You're not getting this totem. And the fire totem's power is wasted on you." Mari said.

"You really think that your spirit can beat my fire?" Eshu asked.

"Not alone." Mari said.

"Good thing she's not alone." Zari said as she floated down to the ground.

"She's got us." Kuasa said as she materialized out of water.

"Huh, so not only have you brought me the spirit totem, you've also brought me the air and water totems. Thank you for making my job easier." Eshu said.

"You're working for Mallus." Zari realized.

"So, you know my master's name. Which means you know he cannot be stopped." Eshu said.

"Yes he can. We will stop him." Mari said, however, before any of them could make a move, they found themselves unable to move.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that I'm not alone." Eshu said as the same dark haired woman who'd bet against Oliver for the water totem walked up to them.

"Such lovely trinkets. I wonder which one would look best on me." The woman said as she looked around, only to have to duck to avoid being hit by a fireball, inadvertently letting the totem bearers go.

"Why'd you attack me?" the woman asked Eshu.

"I didn't." Eshu said.

"Oh, did we not mention that we're not alone either." Zari said as Constantine came into view, his hands ablaze.

"Let's see how you like Hellfire." Constantine said as he lobbed another fireball at the woman who ducked as they engaged in their own battle while a battle of the totem bearers began.


	157. Chapter 157

As hard as Eshu fought, he was really out of his league, since not only was he fighting with one totem against three others, his opponents also had much more experience in wielding totems. Mari and Zari had been using the spirit and air totems their whole lives and while Kuasa may not have had the water totem long, she knew enough about the totems to know how powerful they could be. Also, even now, as he wore it, Eshu could feel the fire totem resisting him, as if it knew who he was working for.

"Face it Eshu, you can't beat all three of us. Even with your little witch helping you." Mari said as she tapped her totem and suddenly, spirit projections of several animals, including a lion, a tiger, a bear, an elephant and a wolf, appeared around her and charged at Eshu.

"Nice one sis." Kuasa said.

"Thanks, been saving that one for a while." Mari said as they watched the creatures she'd summoned attack Eshu.

"Nice try." Eshu said as he fired blasted the avatars, just to have Kuasa douse him with water.

"What's the matter, lose your fire?" Kuasa asked.

"You'll pay for that." Eshu said as he brought more fire to his hands, however, when he went to throw it, he found himself surrounded by a tornado.

"Zari." Mari said as she turned to see Zari holding up her hands, the air totem glowing around her neck.

"What are you doing?" Kuasa asked.

"Literally knocking the wind out of him. Just watch." Zari said as she kept her focus on keeping up the tornado.

Mari and Kuasa watched as the tornado's speed and force picked up, and every time Eshu tried to summon fire, the winds kept putting it out.

"It's working." Kuasa said.

"Try adding your water to the mix. If I'm right, the resulting reaction should put out his fire for good." Mari said and Kuasa nodded as she focused the water totem's energy and blended water with the tornado. Like Mari had predicted, the two elements combining creating a blizzard, trapping Eshu in the center and freezing him solid.

"That's cold." Zari said as she and Kuasa finally cancelled their totems.

"Really?" Kuasa asked.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Zari said with a smile, right as the fire totem began to glow and melt the ice around Eshu.

"This isn't over yet." Eshu said, but it was at that moment that an arrow knocked the fire totem off his neck, rendering him powerless.

"Tell your master he'll never get my daughter." Green Arrow snarled as he lowered his bow.

Eshu eyed the totem on the ground, but before he could even move, Mari had summoned the spirit of the cheetah, wildebeest and hare, moving at speeds that while she wasn't anywhere near as fast as the Flash, she was more than fast enough to scoop up the fire totem before Eshu could.

"This isn't over." Eshu said as he pulled out a black rock and vanished in golden light.

"Coward." Green Arrow growled.

"Hey, at least we got the totem back." Mari said.

"And we'll get Eshu next time." Kuasa assured him.

* * *

Constantine had to admit, he was impressed by his opponent's magic, since it actually appeared to be around equal to his own skill and that was saying something, considering how powerful his magic was.

"Who are you?" Constantine asked as they continued their magical duel.

"You'll never find out." the woman said, when suddenly, she was hit by one of Ray's atom blasts.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to get moving." Ray said.

"No worries big man. You just saved me some time and energy." Constantine said and Ray nodded.

"We should take her back to the ship. She could be useful. Whoever she is." Ray said.

"Agreed." Constantine said.

* * *

 **Sorry to those of you who were hoping for a magical duel, but since I've never actually seen the Constantine show, my knowledge of magical battles in the arrowverse is very limited, so instead, I thought I'd focus more on the totem battle. I'm not very good at writing magical battles yet for the arrowverse, since this is the first time I've really tried covering one.**


	158. Chapter 158

"So, that's four totems down, two to go." Oliver said as he watched Kuasa place the fire totem in a special containment unit Ray had rigged up for it.

"Plus a prisoner." Rip said.

"Are you sure the brig can contain someone with that kind of magic?" Laurel asked worriedly as she held Jasmine in her arms.

"Don't worry love. Before we put her in there, I placed a containment spell on the brig to ensure it can contain the strongest of magical threats." Constantine assured her.

"Good. Hopefully, once we find out who she is, we can gain some insight on Mallus's plans and stop him for good." Oliver said.

"The next step in that plan is finding someone to use the fire totem." Mari said.

"And we will. But first, I think we should speak with our captive, see if there's any information they have on the demon's plans." Rip said.

"Easier said than done. I don't think that anyone wants to resort to torture, especially with an infant onboard this ship and I doubt any truth serum will work on her." Constantine said.

"So we then we find a way to get through to her. And the first step in that is finding out who she is." Oliver said as he walked out.

"Where are you going?" Laurel asked.

"To have a chat with our guest." Oliver said.

"We'd better make sure that's all he does." Constantine said as he followed Oliver and to everyone's surprise, so did Ray.

* * *

"Oliver Queen, I was wondering when you'd pay me a visit." the woman said as Oliver entered the brig.

"So, you know my name." Oliver said.

"I know everything about you. After all, know your enemy." the woman said.

"You can't have had that long to research me if you've only now just started working with Mallus." Oliver said.

"I was plotting against you long before Mallus came to me. He simply offered me the power to take my revenge on you sooner." the woman said.

"Revenge for what?" Oliver asked.

"You killed my father and I will have my revenge for it." the woman said.

"Who was your father?" Oliver asked.

"I thought you'd remember, seeing as to how you likely relished in his death and took everything away from my mother and I. We were forced to go into hiding, underground." the woman said and now Oliver was beginning to realize who this woman was.

"Nora Darhk. You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you." Oliver said.

"So, you finally recognize me." Nora said.

"Yes and your father was a maniac who deserved worse than what I gave him. He was going to burn the world to the ground." Oliver said.

"And remake it into a better one." Nora said.

"No, remake it in his image, with himself as king. I am sorry for what happened to you and your mother, but I didn't relish in your father's death. If anything, I saved him from the fate Ra's al Ghul had in store for him by giving him a quick death." Oliver said.

"You still killed him and I will have justice for him." Nora said.

"You say justice like I killed him in cold blood. He got what he deserved and now you're willing to condemn my daughter just to even the score?" Oliver demanded, his voice getting louder and angrier.

"She will be sacrificed to ensure my master's return and her death will break you. My master and I both win." Nora said smugly.

"No he won't. Nora, I know deep down, a part of you knows this is wrong. I may have been the one who killed your father, but he died because of the decisions he made. Every choice, every action, every decision he made, he didn't leave me any other choice. It was his life or the lives of countless other innocent people. If you really researched me, then you'd know I wouldn't have killed your father unless I had no other options." Oliver said, calming down and walking out, leaving Nora to think about what he'd just said.


	159. Chapter 159

"So, you think you can get through to her?" Laurel asked Oliver.

"I don't know, but I feel like I have to try." Oliver said.

"You might've been the one who killed her father, but you're not responsible for the choices she made. Those are on her." Laurel said.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't change anything. I have to try and get through to her." Oliver said.

"And that is what makes you a hero. You refuse to give up on people." Laurel said.

"More like I've given up on too many people in the past. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice." Oliver said.

"Pardon the intrusion Mr. and Mrs. Queen, but Dr. Heywood has made a discovery that I believe you should both be made aware of." Gideon said, waking Jasmine up from her nap in the process.

"Seriously Gideon, I thought I asked you to keep your volume low in here when Jasmine is napping." Laurel said as she picked her crying daughter up to soothe her.

"My apologies Mrs. Queen." Gideon said.

"Let's go find out what this is about. Something tells me we're not getting her back down again any time soon." Oliver said.

"I'll catch up. I'm going to go get her a bottle from the kitchen." Laurel said, since she honestly did not feel comfortable nursing Jasmine until they were off this ship and back home where they belonged and Oliver nodded.

* * *

"So, what's going on?" Oliver asked.

"I think I've got a lead on the earth totem." Nate said.

"You've got my attention." Oliver said.

"Where's your wife. She should be here for this." Rip asked.

"Gideon woke Jasmine up from a nap and now Laurel's getting her a bottle. Though depending on where we're going, I might let her take this totem and I'll spend some time with Jasmine." Oliver said.

"Well, we're going to the Bahamas 1717. I'm pretty sure the earth totem found its way into the possession of Edward Teach." Nate said.

"Wait, Blackbeard?" Oliver asked.

"You know about him?" Ray asked.

"What young boy does not go through a pirate stage without learning about the most famous one of all." Oliver said.

"Fair point." Ronnie acknowledged as Laurel entered the bridge, holding a sleeping Jasmine in her arms.

"How is she?" Oliver asked.

"Managed to get her down after feeding her a bottle. So, where are we headed next?" Laurel asked.

"1717. Better strap in." Rip said.

"Where exactly are we going there?" Laurel asked.

"The Bahamas." Oliver said.

"Nice, can we stay a little while after we're done there?" Laurel asked.

"Unfortunately, the Bahamas are not the vacation spot they are in your time. The entire place is run by pirates and we're going there because we believe that the earth totem is there." Ray said.

"And we'll really just be dropping you off, since it is too dangerous for the Waverider to remain in that area for long." Rip said.

"Why?" Ronnie asked.

"Because it's in the middle of the bermuda triangle." Rip said.

"You're kidding Rip. You're a time master, you can't really believe all those stories about ships disappearing right." Ray said.

"I do because I've seen several of them. Something about that area messes with electronics. It could cause a level 4 systems failure and I cannot risk stranding the ship in that era." Rip said.

"So you drop us off and pick us up when we're done." Nate said.

"Pretty much, so who's going." Rip asked.

"I'm going." Mari said immediately.

"So am I. Couldn't hurt to have some magic, plus, this age of lawlessness, it calls to me." Constantine said.

"So will Nate and I." Ray said and Nate nodded his agreement.

"Will either of you two be going as well?" Rip asked Oliver and Laurel.

"I think I'm gonna stay here, see if I can get through to Nora." Oliver said.

"And you Laurel?" Rip asked.

"Well, since Ollie helped get the water and fire totems while I was here on the ship, I guess it's only fair that I get to help find the Earth totem. Besides, I'm sure my cry can help convince Blackbeard if he won't cooperate. After all, if I remember correctly, aren't sirens still believed to be real in this time period?" Laurel asked.

"Indeed they are." Rip said.

"Captain, shall I plot a course?" Gideon asked.

"Yes Gideon." Rip said as they all got strapped into seats, Laurel holding Jasmine tightly as they prepared to make the time jump.


	160. Chapter 160

Oliver entered his and Laurel's room and smiled when he saw her in her pirate outfit.

"How do I look?" Laurel asked with a smile as she looked down at her pirate outfit. She was wearing dark blue trousers, a black shirt and a burgundy coat, along with a typical black pirate's hat.

"Like a pirate queen." Oliver said.

"Huh, The Dread Pirate Queen. I like it." Laurel said as she kissed him.

"Go, it's your turn to have some fun." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Take care of Jasmine while I'm gone." Laurel said.

"Will do." Oliver said as she walked out.

* * *

"So, this is where Blackbeard hangs out?" Laurel asked as she, Mari, Ray and Nate, all of them dressed in typical pirate garb, walked through Nasseu.

"Yep. I wonder how we find him?" Ray asked.

"Same way you find any other kind of criminal. You go to the bar." Laurel said like it should be obvious.

"Got it." Ray said as they followed her into the bar.

"So, what's the plan?" Mari asked.

"We need to get a feel for the room. Fan out, see if you can get anyone here to spill." Laurel said as she walked away.

"And here I thought Oliver was the only leader of Team Arrow." Ray said.

"I think I know a better way to get Blackbeard's attention. If there's one thing pirates love more than treasure, it's a good story and we have a captain who was cursed by a siren." Nate said and the others nodded.

"I think I have an idea on how to start that rumor." " Mari said and the boys nodded.

* * *

Laurel was sitting at the bar, getting a drink when she felt someone grab her shoulder and it wasn't one of her friends.

She instinctively grabbed a bottle of alcohol and whirled around, smashing it into the pirate's head.

"Next time don't touch without permission." Laurel snarled at the pirate as she then noticed all eyes on her.

"That's what happens when you mess with the dread pirate Queen." Mari said, confusing Laurel.

"I ain't heard of no pirate queen." one of the pirates said.

"You never heard of her. The one who killed a siren and was cursed to bear it's scream for all eternity." Nate said and now Laurel was starting to understand their plan and smiled.

"That can't be true." the same pirate said, only to have Laurel unleash her cry on him, sending him flying across the bar.

"Still having doubts?" Laurel asked smugly.

"Come to think of it, I heard rumors that she once lost her ship to a kraken and she then hunted it down, killed it and turned the thing's skin into her coat in retribution." another pirate said and Laurel smiled as rumors about her began to form.

"I heard she faced down Davy Jones himself and walked away unscathed." another pirate said.

"I hear she be more fierce and dangerous than Captain Blackbeard." a different pirate said as suddenly, a man with long black hair, wearing a black hat and long red coat, and of course, a black beard.

"What is this I hear?" the man said.

"Captain Blackbeard, I have it on good authority that be in the company of the dread pirate queen." the same pirate said.

"Really. Is that so?" Blackbeard said as he looked at Laurel who nodded.

"Well then, welcome to Nasseu." Blackbeard greeted and Laurel nodded.

* * *

Later, Laurel and Blackbeard were sitting at a table in the bar.

"The scuttlebutt is that you want to join me crew." Blackbeard said.

"I work for no man. What we seek is treasure." Laurel said.

"As does every pirate worth his or her salt." Blackbeard said with a chuckle.

"You know, I believe that you have this particular treasure in your possession." Laurel said.

"And what treasure might that be?" Blackbeard asked.

"It's a necklace with a very large emerald." Laurel said, remembering how Mari had described the Earth totem.

"That description doesn't strike a chord." Blackbeard said.

"Perhaps some time with a siren will refresh your memory." Laurel said as she as she took a deep breath, only to have Blackbeard chuckle.

"I assure you that won't be necessary. I just needed to make sure you were the real deal and you are. A pirate after me own black heart. I'll tell ye where the trinket is, but at a price." Blackbeard said.

"Name your price." Laurel said.

"Not gold or anything, rather your services." Blackbeard said.

"And what could I possibly offer you?" Laurel asked.

"Out on the island of St. Lucia, lies the eye of the sea Jewel. Of all the treasures I've sought over the years, it is the one I've valued the most. However, all my attempts to retrieve it have failed. I'm hoping that with your unique skills, you can help me brave the treachery of that landscape and retrieve it." Blackbeard said and Laurel nodded.

"Agreed, the eye for the emerald. My crew and I will assist you, in exchange for the necklace. But let me be clear, you'd better hold up your end of the deal." Laurel said.

"And why would that be?" Blackbeard asked.

"Because the last person who tried to double cross me, well, the only people who know what happened to him are myself and my four most trusted lieutenants." Laurel said and Blackbeard nodded.

"Of course. Shall we be on our way? Blackbeard asked.

"We shall." Laurel agreed.


	161. Chapter 161

"I still don't understand why we have to take the Queen Anne's Revenge. Can't we take your ship?" Blackbeard asked Laurel as they, plus Laurel's 'crew' walked towards the harbor.

"Be grateful the dread pirate queen is willing to help you at all. If she wanted to, she could simply use her siren's curse to torture you until you gave us the location of the emerald necklace." Mari said.

"She wouldn't dare." Blackbeard said.

"Don't tempt me." Laurel said angrily, since right now, her daughter's fate hinged on this idiot cooperating.

"Perhaps you should give him a taste of what will happen to him if he tries to play any traditional pirate games with us." Nate suggested.

"Not a bad idea. I hope you don't need your ears anytime soon." Laurel said.

"No, that won't be necessary." Blackbeard said quickly, making Laurel grin slightly, since she knew now that she'd gotten Blackbeard, probably the scariest pirate in history, to be afraid of her. That was slightly satisfying.

* * *

"I see you've come back to try again. You really think you can get me to turn on Mallus?" Nora asked as she heard Oliver enter the brig.

"Maybe not. But I figured you should at least see the person you're working to doom." Oliver said as Nora turned to see Oliver standing outside her cell, holding a baby in his arms.

"My daughter Jasmine. Mallus is seeking her out as his host once she gets old enough that he can safely possess her.

"Why show me this?" Nora asked.

"Because unlike me and your father, Jasmine is innocent. She never did anything to anyone. Can you honestly say that she deserves to become a demon's puppet." Oliver asked.

"Better her than me." Nora said.

"Excuse me?" Oliver demanded.

"I would've been Mallus's vessel if it weren't for her." Nora said.

"So you're willing to let an innocent child suffer at the hands of a demon in order to save your own skin?" Oliver asked incredulously.

"You took one of the people I care about the most from me. I'm simply returning the favor." Nora said.

"You're willing to doom an innocent child out of spite. That's low, even for a Darhk. But then again, I guess your family really will leave a legacy evil behind. Your father left behind a legacy of fear and evil. You could've changed the way your family is seen, left a better legacy for the Darhks. But I guess all people will ever see your family as is the monsters under the bed." Oliver said.

"My father could've fixed the world." Nora said.

"He was going to burn it down and rebuild it in his twisted image. He wasn't any kind of hero. He was a maniac. But you Nora, I don't think you really are one." Oliver said.

"What?" Nora asked, shocked he'd say that.

"I didn't know your father well, but from what I could tell from what I heard about him from Ra's al Ghul and my research on him, if there was one thing he did care about was his family. He wouldn't have wanted this life for you. Honestly, I'm betting he was doing what he was doing for you." Oliver said.

"Well I guess I wouldn't know since I can't exactly ask him." Nora growled as Constantine entered the brig.

"Actually, with my help, there may be a way that you can." Constantine said.


	162. Chapter 162

"What do you mean I can?" Nora asked.

"Magic is good for more than just turning pumpkins into coaches. A basic seance should be able to temporarily summon your father's spirit from hell so you can commune with him. The only problem is finding a host for his soul to reside in, since no offense mate, but Damien Darhk's soul in your body, even for a brief period, it's a terrifying thought." John said to Oliver.

"None taken." Oliver said.

"If we're not going to use Oliver, who will we use?" Nora asked.

"Oliver and I will bring this up to the remaining people on board the ship. In the meantime, you stay put." Constantine said.

"Thanks to this protection spell, it's not like I could leave." Nora said.

"Fair point." Constantine said, right as Jasmine began getting fussy.

"You talk to the others, I'm going to go see if I can calm her down." Oliver said and John nodded.

* * *

"Wait, you want to do what?" Rip asked after Constantine told him, Ronnie, Zari and Kuasa his plan.

"It's the only way to maybe get Nora off her path, which would not only cost Mallus a servant, but give us a very useful ally. The only problem is that the spell requires a vessel for the soul to inhabit." Constantine said.

"So, you want one of us to do it." Zari asked.

"I'm not gonna force you to do anything." Constantine said.

"I'll do it." Ronnie said before anyone could say anything else.

"Wait, Ronnie, are you sure?" Zari asked.

"Yeah, I am." Ronnie said.

"Excellent, let's get this seance started then." Constantine said.

* * *

"And you're sure this will work?" Oliver asked Constantine as Ronnie stood in the middle of the circle he'd prepared.

"Yes mate. Nora, you ready to speak to your father." Constantine said.

"This better work." Nora said and Constantine nodded.

"You ready Ronald?" Constantine asked.

"As I'll ever be." Ronnie said and Constantine nodded as he began chanting. The lights in the room began to flicker and Ronnie began twitch as the room shook until suddenly, it stopped.

"Well?" Constantine asked as Ronnie's head shot upwards.

"Where the hell am I?" Ronnie asked, but it wasn't his voice. It was a voice that still caused an intense surge of anger to shoot through Oliver's entire body and he was glad Jasmine was asleep in her crib right now. It was the voice of Damien Darhk.

"Dad?" Nora asked from her cell, causing Ronnie or Darhk to turn to face her.

"Nora doll, is that really you?" Darhk asked.

"It's me dad." Nora said.

"How am I here?" Darhk asked.

"We pulled you from hell to see if you could get your daughter off the path of following you there." Oliver said as Darhk turned to face him.

"Oliver Queen, I should've known you were the Green Arrow. You're the one who sent me to hell." Darhk said.

"I simply put an arrow in you. Your choices are what determined where you ended up after that." Oliver said.

"He's lying." Nora said.

"No Nora, he's right. I've had lots of time to think about my choices since I was sent to hell and at first, I blamed Oliver for my situation, but then I realized that I only had myself to blame. If I could take back my actions, I would." Darhk said.

"You can't undo your past, but you can stop your daughter from making the same mistakes. Stop her from following you to hell." Oliver said.

"He's right Nora. One of my biggest regrets since I died is how much of a terrible father I was to you. I spent so much time being obsessed with my foolish plans for world domination, I never bothered to actually be a good father to you." Darhk said.

"You were doing it for me." Nora said.

"Maybe, but Nora, you have to stray from my path. It's not too late for you. Help them end this threat for good. I destroyed our family's legacy with my plans. You can be the one who redeems the Darhk family name. The one who makes sure that the Darhks aren't just known as criminals. Make me proud Nora doll." Darhk said as the seance ended and Ronnie returned to normal.

"Well, did it work?" Ronnie asked as they all turned to Nora.

"Yeah, it did. My father was right, it's up to me to fix my family's legacy." Nora said.

"So you'll help us?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, I will." Nora said as she held out her hand.

Ronnie opened the cell and Oliver then shook Nora's hand.


	163. Chapter 163

"How long until we reach St. Lucia?" Laurel asked Blackbeard impatiently.

"I understand your impatience, but the wait will be worth it." Blackbeard said.

"You didn't answer my question." Laurel said.

"If the tides cooperate, we'll be there in 2 days." Blackbeard said.

"What. Can't you get us there any faster?" Laurel demanded.

"This is the fastest route that also has the smallest chance of killing us." Blackbeard said.

"So there's a faster route." Nate said.

"Only you're crazy enough to brave the devil's triangle. Even I dare not enter it." Blackbeard said.

"Wait, what?" Laurel asked.

"It's a day long straight shot from Nassau to St. Lucia through the triangle, but it's too risky. No ship has ever made it from one end of the triangle to the other in one piece." Blackbeard said.

"Well no other ship has ever had the dread pirate queen at its helm and we are on a bit of time crunch." Ray said.

"You would dare use my ship to cross the most dangerous part of the ocean that ever existed. I don't think so." Blackbeard said, only to have Nate and Mari raise their swords to stop him.

"You dare to argue with me when it's only my crew aboard this ship?" Laurel asked and she could tell that Blackbeard was carefully considering his options.

"You're willing to risk the lives of your crew for a jewel?" Blackbeard asked.

"I'm surprised you aren't." Laurel said.

"Fine, but you're the one steering this ship." Blackbeard said.

"Take him to the brig." Laurel said as Nate and Mari nodded.

"You'd dare to send me to my own brig?" Blackbeard asked.

"It's the only place fit for a coward like you." Laurel said as he was led off and she took the wheel.

"You sure want to do this Laurel?" Ray asked.

"This is the only way we can get Blackbeard to tell us where the Earth totem is and we need that totem to save my daughter. There is no risk I will not take to save her." Laurel said.

"I get that, I just want to be sure, since while I get you want to save Jasmine, you also need to remember that she needs her mother and frankly, Oliver needs you to keep his head on straight." Ray reminded her.

"I know. And I realize that I might seem like I'm losing it, but I know what I'm doing." Laurel said.

"I hope so. For all of our sakes." Ray said as Laurel prepared to change course.

* * *

Ray had to admit, Laurel's captain skills were excellent, since even as they sailed through what was supposed to be the most dangerous part of the ocean, she avoided every obstacle like a pro.

"I have to admit, you're doing a pretty good job sailing us through these relatively calm waters." Ray said, right as a storm rolled in.

"You just had to say it Ray." Laurel groaned.

"My bad." Ray said.

"Hold on, this is gonna get rough." Laurel said as she began trying to employ some quick captaining to avoid capsizing.

* * *

"Whoa, what was that?" Nate asked.

"That would be the triangle. I tried to warn you." Blackbeard asked.

"I'm gonna get above deck. Maybe I can help Laurel." Mari said as she ran towards the bridge of the ship.

"Mari, what are you doing here?" Laurel asked.

"I can use my totem to summon the ashe of animals who can help me see in this storm." Mari said.

"Then do it and take the wheel." Laurel said and Mari nodded as she summoned the spirits of nocturnal sea creatures to help her see.

"Hang on tight." Mari said as she took the wheel and began trying to steer them to safety.

* * *

While it took some creative steering and a lot of close calls, Mari managed to steer the ship through the triangle and while it was a bit battered, it was in one piece.

"Congratulations Blackbeard, you are now the first pirate to ever successfully navigate their way through the Devil's triangle. You're welcome." Laurel said as he came up from the brig.

"Don't you dare tell anyone you locked me in me own brig." Blackbeard said.

"Agreed. Now, do you have any idea how to find this jewel you're looking for?" Laurel asked.

"I have a map to the jewel, only problem is getting there. I've tried numerous times with numerous crew members, but we never made it." Blackbeard said.

"Lucky we're not just any crew. Lead the way." Mari said and Blackbeard nodded as they moved inward towards the island.


	164. Chapter 164

"So, how many times have you tried to get the eye?" Laurel asked Blackbeard.

"Too many to count. Every time I try I get a bit closer, but at this point, none of me own crew are willing to make the trip." Blackbeard said.

"How dangerous of a situation have we gotten ourselves into?" Laurel asked.

"For a crew that was bold and talented enough to navigate their way through the Devil's triangle, I doubt it's anything you cannot handle." Blackbeard said.

"I want to apologize for locking you in your ship's brig." Laurel said and Blackbeard looked surprised.

"Really." Blackbeard asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry, it's just, I have a lot riding on getting that emerald necklace and I got desperate." Laurel said.

"Really, what might that be?" Blackbeard asked, only to have Laurel raise her sword.

"That's none of your business. Just know it means more to me than any jewel could." Laurel said and Blackbeard wisely nodded, since while he was starting to think that Laurel wasn't exactly the pirate she had everyone believing she was, she was still not to be trifled with. Not yet anyways.

* * *

"I really hope Oliver and Laurel get back soon." Thea said to Roy as they entered the precinct.

"Hey, they've only been gone for about a week." Roy said, since while it seemed much longer to Oliver and Laurel, thanks to time travel, they'd only been gone a week to those in the present.

Anyways, at that moment, Quentin came into the precinct he was on a bit of a warpath.

"Alright everyone, we got a live one." Quentin said.

"What's going on boss?" Thea asked as she grabbed her coffee.

"Last night, several members of the los halcones syndicate were found dead last night." Quentin said.

"Do we know what caused it?" Roy asked as the police report was passed around.

"The bodies had bullet wounds, but there were no shells found at the scene." Quentin said as their CSI Cassie walked up to them.

"Autopsy revealed traces of an unidentified substance, which caused a chemical reaction with the blood that resulted in tox." Cassie began, only to have Thea interrupt.

"So in simple terms, their skin melting off." Thea said.

"The proper term is toxic epidermal necrolysis." Cassie said.

"But, basically, yes." Quentin said.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I don't any of the cops here majored in chemistry, so how exactly would they know what she's talking about." Thea asked as Cassie glared at her.

"Ok, how can a bullet just disappear?" Roy asked, getting them back on track.

"There have been rumors of a new weapon making its rounds on the street." Officer Bingsley said.

"Toxicology is working up labs now. We should have a better idea of what's going on in the next few hours." Cassie said.

"In the meantime, let's talk about suspects." Quentin said.

"Well, according to some of my street contacts, there's a new crew in town, the Blackout Gang. They've quickly become a big rival to the Los Halcones." Roy said.

"So we're looking at a gang war?" Quentin asked.

"Looks that way." Roy said.

"Okay then, I want everyone working their contacts. Now get to work." Quentin said as everyone dispersed, though Quentin held Roy and Thea back.

"I'm guessing that your team is also on this?" Quentin asked and Thea nodded.

"I'll Winn on it now." Thea said.

"Good. Not that I don't have faith in you guys, but any idea when Oliver and Laurel are getting back?" Quentin asked.

"Not until Jasmine is safe." Thea said and Quentin nodded, since he'd been brought up to speed on everything.

"Carry on then." Quentin said as he let them walk out.

* * *

"I don't believe it. I think we have finally found it." Blackbeard said as he, Laurel, Mari, Ray and Nate finally reached the point where his map said the treasure was buried.

"The jewel better be worth it." Nate said, since it was only due to his, Laurel and Mari's abilities that they'd survived the path, though they intended to wipe that part of Blackbeard's memory once all this was over.

"Get digging." Laurel said to her crew, who nodded as they began digging until finally, they found the chest.

"At long last, the eye of the sea will be mine." Blackbeard said as he began rummaging through the treasure until he found a smaller chest and opened it to reveal the eye of the sea jewel.

However, before he could grab it, Laurel did.

"What are you doing? We had a deal!" Blackbeard shouted.

"Call it an insurance policy. You'll get your eye when I get my emerald." Laurel said and Blackbeard glared at her.

"You dare." Blackbeard said.

"Might I remind you that you're outnumbered and I will gladly turn you into the british crown if you don't back down." Laurel said.

"Fine, I suppose you really are a pirate, since that is smart." Blackbeard grudgingly admitted.

"Once I'm certain that you'll uphold your end of the bargain, I will gladly give this to you. But until then, tell me, where is the emerald necklace?" Laurel demanded as she then held her sword to Blackbeard's throat.

"I buried my treasure, including that trinket, on Grace Island." Blackbeard relented.

"Then I guess that's where we're going next. Once we get that necklace, I'll give you the eye." Laurel said and Blackbeard sighed, but nodded.


	165. Chapter 165

Compared to their journey to St. Lucia, the trip to Grace Island was smooth and steady, though Laurel was keeping an eye on Blackbeard, since she could tell he was eyeing her to try and steal the eye from her, even though they'd made a deal, not that she expected him to truly honor it. It's why she'd refused to let him touch the jewel until he'd given her what he promised.

"And here we are. Grace Island." Blackbeard said as they docked on the shore.

"If you're waiting for the jewel, I told you I'd give it to you once I have that emerald necklace." Laurel said.

"I still don't understand why you'd want that trinket anyways." Blackbeard said.

"What do you mean?" Mari asked.

"That necklace is cursed." Blackbeard said.

"What do you mean it's cursed?" Mari asked, though she had an idea.

"I saw it's dastardly work with me own eyes." Blackbeard said.

"What are you talking about?" Laurel asked.

"I gifted it to me love and queen, the most devious, and dastardly woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, apart from you two, I mean. But as soon as Anne put it on, something dark and unholy overtook her." Blackbeard said.

"Totems draw on the life force of their bearer. So, if Anne was as wicked as you suggest, the totem would've only amplified her worst impulses." Mari said.

"It turned her into a monster." Blackbeard insisted.

"How did you live to tell the tale?" Nate asked.

" Well, I I did the only decent thing any man would do. I put a musket ball in her head and buried her along with the treasure, but that cursed necklace, it won't let her rest in peace." Blackbeard said.

"You killed the woman you claimed to love." Ray asked.

"Trust me, that was the best thing Blackbeard could've done. The woman he loved died the moment he placed that necklace on her. Once we get that necklace off her, she'll be able to rest peacefully." Mari said.

* * *

When they arrived at the place Blackbeard buried the treasure and the moment they arrived, they heard vines hiss and suddenly, the dirt shifted as a zombie looking woman covered in vines shot out of the ground.

"Oh, hello, Annie!" Blackbeard said as the zombie hissed at him.

" Good to see you're, uh You're looking so beautiful." Blackbeard said cautiously.

"Let me handle this." Mari said as she took cautious steps towards Anne.

"Are you mad?" Blackbeard demanded.

"Let her handle this." Laurel said.

"Are you sure?" Blackbeard asked.

"The whole reason I had her join my crew is because of her knowledge of the occult. She knows what she's doing. Now stand back." Laurel assured Blackbeard, who nodded.

"I know how it feels to wear one of those totems. It can be a burden even to someone who was born to wield it. No one knows that better than me. But please, let me help to free you from this burden." Mari said as both her's and Anne's totems glowed for a moment before Anne collapsed and the vines and surrounding her faded.

"What just happened?" Blackbeard asked as Mari took the necklace off Anne's body.

"We got our treasure." Mari said.

"Now I believe it is time for you to give me mine." Blackbeard said.

"A deal is a deal." Laurel agreed as she reached into her coat pocket and handed Blackbeard the eye of the sea.

"Now, I'm sorry to say this, but you'll have to find your own way back to the mainland." Blackbeard said, expecting to have them retaliate for that.

"Fine by me. Working with you has served its purpose and we have our own ride, you didn't think this was my entire crew did you?" Laurel asked and Blackbeard wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Fare thee well." Blackbeard said, but before he could leave, Laurel put her sword at his throat.

"And make sure you tell them that the Dread Pirate Queen spared your worthless life and got you a treasure no one else could." Laurel said and Blackbeard quickly nodded before running off.

"Coward. Very disillusioning." Nate said as he watched the supposedly feared pirate run away.

"Who cares. We've got the earth totem. That's 5 down. One to go." Laurel said as she looked at the totem in Mari's hand.

"Let's call our ride and get into some real clothes." Mari said and the others nodded.


	166. Chapter 166

When Laurel and the others returned to the Waverider, she was shocked to see Nora Darhk standing out of her cell.

"What is she doing not in a prison cell." Laurel demanded.

"She's on our side now." Oliver said.

"You really expect us to believe that?" Mari asked.

"It's true. Laurel, I know I can never make up for what I did before, but I can work to make sure the future is better." Nora said.

"Besides, she has intel on the demon we can use to stop him and save Jasmine." Rip pointed out.

"Speaking of stopping Mallus, we got the Earth totem." Ray said.

"That was the last easy totem." Nora said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"The five totems you currently have in your possession were the ones used to originally imprison Mallus. But the death totem, the reason all records of it and the tribe entrusted to protect it were erased is because that tribe sided with Mallus and he's still got a connection to it. Before anyone can use the totem, you need to break its connection to him first." Nora warned.

"But can we also use that connection to locate it?" Constantine asked.

"Possibly." Nora said.

"Keep working on it." Oliver said and they both nodded.

"Uh, Oliver, can I talk to you in private?" Laurel asked and Oliver nodded, knowing what she was going to say.

* * *

"What exactly happened while I was out treasure hunting?" Laurel asked.

"We did a little seance and Nora got to talk to her dad." Oliver said.

"Seriously." Laurel asked.

"Yep. Surprisingly, Darhk talked some sense into her, convinced Nora not to make the same mistakes he did." Oliver said.

"Really, and you trust her?" Laurel asked.

"No, but she is a way to save our baby girl, so, I'm willing to work with her." Oliver said and Laurel nodded before a smile came to her face.

"Speaking of which, where is she?" Laurel asked.

"Napping. I'm sure she'll be glad you're back though." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as she entered their room to see their little angel sleeping soundly.

"How was she?" Laurel asked.

"Aside from missing you, she was fine." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"I missed her to. But everything I'm doing, it's for her." Laurel said.

"Everything we're both doing is for her. To make sure she has a future that isn't haunted by a demon." Oliver said and Laurel nodded her agreement.

* * *

"Wow, so my first stint as Green Arrow will be stopping a gang war. Did not think I'd be doing that this soon." Emiko said after Roy and Thea told them about the Blackout Gang.

"Tell me about it. No offense, but I was really hoping that this sort of thing could wait until after Ollie got back." Thea said.

"None taken." Emiko said.

"Thea and I have to do this the legit way, but you guys don't." Roy said.

"Do we have anything work with?" Winn asked.

"Well, would the toxicology report help?" Roy asked as he pulled out the thumb drive Lance had slipped him.

"Yes it would." Winn said.

"Give me a copy of that and I'll get it to Lyla, something tells me weapons like this would be something Argus would interested in." John said and Winn nodded.

"Got it." Winn said.

* * *

"So, any ideas on where that missing death totem is?" Laurel asked when she and Oliver, Laurel carrying Jasmine in her arms, arrived on the bridge.

"Yes actually." Nora said.

"So where are we going?" Oliver asked.

"Memphis 1954 and guess what, we're not only going to get the totem." Nate said.

"Why else are we going?" Oliver asked.

"Because we got a ping of an aberration in the same place and surrounds a very famous musician." Ray said.

"Wait, if it's Memphis, then are you talking about?" Oliver asked.

"We're going to meet the king baby." Nate said eagerly.

"But before he becomes the King. In fact, we're going to church. Perfect place to take a newborn." Rip said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Laurel asked, since she did not want Jasmine anywhere near a mission.

"We're only going to Church to figure out where the totem is what Elvis has to do with it. Nothing more." Rip assured her.

"Okay then, I guess we're going to church." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.


	167. Chapter 167

"Hey, you okay?" Laurel asked as she noticed the look on her husband's face as they stood in their room on the Waverider.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Oliver said, just to have Laurel give him a look.

"I know you better than that. Is it this time travel thing. Rip warned us that it can have a pretty intense effect on the human body." Laurel asked.

"No, it's not that. Not the side effects." Oliver said.

"Then what is it?" Laurel asked.

"I just can't wait for this to be over and we can go back home." Oliver said.

"Where people threaten us instead of our daughter." Laurel said.

"This is life we've chosen, it isn't ideal, we knew that going into it." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

"But still, Ollie, do you ever think that maybe, one day, this will all be over and we can live our lives again. Just be normal people?" Laurel asked.

"Maybe one day our mission will come to an end, but no matter what happens Laurel, we'll never be normal people, I don't think I ever really was a normal person to begin with." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Well, now that I think about it, normal is very boring. I've always liked a challenge. Probably why I fell for you to begin with. I knew it would be the biggest challenge of my life." Laurel said with a smile.

"And do you ever have any regrets?" Oliver asked her as Laurel looked him right in the eyes.

"Not even for a minute. Besides, if I didn't love you so much, we wouldn't have Jasmine right now. I never thought I could love anyone as much as I do her, not even you Ollie, but I do. I know that I would do anything for her." Laurel said as she turned towards the crib where Jasmine was sleeping.

"Everytime I look at her sleep, I feel the urge to make sure she's still breathing. Even though literally everyone told us that it's normal for an infant to sleep this much, I still worry." Oliver said.

"And that is what makes you a good father. And what we're doing now to save her, it just proves that we're going to figure out how to be parents. We're already good ones." Laurel said as she kissed him, right as there was a knock on the door, causing them to turn to see Nate standing there.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you guys should know that we just arrived in Memphis." Nate said.

"Thank you Nate, we'll be up there shortly." Oliver said and Nate nodded as he walked away.

"Is it just me, or did Nate seem a bit more excited than usual?" Laurel asked.

"He was almost Ray's level of excitement." Oliver chuckled.

"Come on, never thought I'd say this, but let's get ready for church." Laurel said, since neither of them were really religious.

"Let's go." Oliver said as they moved to change into nicer clothes.

* * *

Since Constantine and Nora had opted to stay on the ship and protect the totems they currently had that didn't have bearers already, though Constantine was also there to protect them from Nora, since he still didn't trust her yet, the others were attending the church where Gideon said Elvis would be, along with the Death totem.

They sat in the back of the church and Oliver couldn't help but notice how jittery Nate was.

"Before we leave here, we need to get Elvis's autograph, my dad will never forgive me otherwise." Laurel whispered to Oliver.

"And how exactly do we explain to Elvis why we want his autograph before he even becomes famous?" Oliver asked.

"Appeal to his vanity. Besides, maybe it'll help build his confidence." Laurel said and Oliver shrugged.

"Let's focus on getting what we came for first." Oliver whispered back and Laurel nodded as she rocked Jasmine in her arms and like Rip had predicted, no one had questioned her presence there, though Mari, Kuasa and Zari were drawing some looks.

"Shush." One of the other visitors said to them.

"Sorry." Oliver whispered as the preacher, Elvis's uncle, began ranting.

"There's a sickness coming over this town. I see it in the school yard as I pass in the morning. And to my horror, I see it in this very church on Sundays. It infects the mind. It drives people crazy. Maybe the righteous. They call it rock and roll. I call it the devil's music." the reverend said and Nate scoffed at that.

"He has no idea what he's talking about." Nate said and Oliver had to agree, since he was partial to rock himself.

"Now, I would like to invite my nephew, Elvis, to play for us and encourage you all to attend our first annual Heavenly Night of Hymns." the preacher said as the king himself took the stage.

"My dad is going to be so jealous he missed this." Laurel said, since they were about to hear Elvis sing.

"Too bad we can't video this." Nate said.

"Something tells me this isn't the music we'd want to video anyways." Oliver whispered and Nate had to agree with that.

As Elvis began singing Onward Christian Soldiers, Oliver noticed his guitar starting to glow and it wasn't the only thing in the room glowing as the air, spirit and water totems all glowed to.

"Get the totem bearers out of here now." Oliver whispered to Rip, who noticed it as well and nodded and quickly got the message to Mari, Zari and Kuasa, who managed to get out, right before their totems activated, keeping their secrets safe.


	168. Chapter 168

After church let out, the crew gathered outside where Mari, Zari and Kuasa were already waiting.

"So, our totems start glowing at the same time Elvis's guitar does. That can't be a coincidence." Mari said and Oliver nodded.

"Agreed. Elvis is the bearer of the Death totem." Oliver said.

"Every totem is growing stronger in response to Mallus's threat. We need that totem." Mari said.

"Hold on, now that we know who has the Death totem, we need to operate a bit more carefully." Rip said.

"What do you mean?" Kuasa asked.

"There are certain people throughout history who's effect was so large that interfering with the wrong events could have huge consequences. Elvis Presley is one of though people, since there is a reason he's called the king." Rip said.

"He's right, Elvis is the one who really put rock on the map, without him, Rock and Roll never gets out of memphis." Nate said.

"Exactly, we must be careful not to do something that could end up tanking Elvis's career, since not only could that create a rather significant aberration, but it could also further weaken the prison Mallus is trapped in." Rip said.

"Let's get back to the ship and work out a plan." Oliver said and they all nodded.

* * *

"We gotta hit." Quentin said as exited his office into the precinct.

"What's going on?" Thea asked from where she and Roy were talking.

"One of our officers just received word from a contact. The Blackout Gang will be convening for a weapons buy tonight in Orchid Bay." Quentin said.

"Sounds like our best chance to get our hands on the new weapon." Roy said.

"Take down the supplier while we're at it." Thea added and Quentin nodded.

"Get the unit ready to move out." Quentin said as the cops began moving out.

"Roy, hold up a second." Quentin said.

"Yeah captain?" Roy asked.

"I think that considering what we're dealing with here, you should get your other unit on this as well." Quentin said and Roy nodded.

"Give us the location and we'll give it to them. Thea and I will be wearing our blues though, since we don't want to raise suspicion." Roy said and Quentin nodded.

"Let's do this." Quentin said.

* * *

"So, Elvis is the bearer of the long lost death totem. How does that even begin to make sense?" Mari said.

"Maybe the totem was attracted to Elvis because it sensed a connection to the dead with him. Maybe something he hasn't moved past." Oliver said as all eyes turned to Nate.

"What?" Nate asked.

"Not only are you the historian, but you're also the resident Elvis expert. Any ideas?" Zari asked.

"Maybe his brother." Nate said.

"Jesse?" Oliver asked.

"How do you know the name of Elvis's brother?" Laurel asked her husband, who shrugged.

"I watched Full House as a kid." Oliver said and everyone chuckled.

"Fair enough. But anyways, what if when Elvis uses the totem, with his music, he's actually summoning Jesse's spirit from the grave." Nate said.

"Then he'll be reluctant to give it up and we can't just steal the guitar." Oliver said.

"So what do you recommend?" Rip asked.

"We go and see him in person, confirm our theory. If we're right, then I think I can convince Elvis to give up the totem." Oliver said.

"How?" Ray asked.

"I know a thing or two about dealing with ghosts. I've had my own ghosts since I first set foot on Lian Yu." Oliver said.

"He's right. If anyone can relate to Elvis's pain if we're right, it's him." Constantine said.

"Looks like we've got a plan." Laurel said.

"So, we know Oliver's going to see Elvis, but who else?" Ray asked.

"Me, please." Nate said and Rip nodded.

"Might as well make it a double date then." Laurel said and Zari nodded.

"Okay then, let's get to work." Oliver said.


	169. Chapter 169

Later that day, Oliver, Laurel, Nate and Zari were sitting in a rock club on Beale Street.

"I still can't believe I'm here." Nate said.

"What, on Beale street. It still exists back in our time." Zari said to her boyfriend.

"He means seeing Elvis in person and I can't exactly blame him." Oliver said.

"Right, you were a bit of a rock fan back in the day." Laurel said with a smile.

"You can blame my dad for that. He was a bit of a collector of vintage items. Planes, albums, he turned me onto rock music when I was a kid. It's honestly one of the few good memories I have left of him." Oliver said as Laurel placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"He would be so proud of the man you've become Oliver." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"I know. It's just, there were so many moments I wish he could've been here to see. Our wedding, Thea and Roy's wedding, the birth of his granddaughter." Oliver said.

"He would've loved Jasmine." Laurel said.

"Yeah, he would've." Oliver agreed as they saw Elvis walk up towards the stage.

"Should we get the totem now?" Zari asked and Oliver smiled.

"No, first, we enjoy the show." Oliver said and Nate quickly nodded in agreement.

"My dad would kill me if I didn't get some kind of proof I met Elvis." Laurel shrugged as she covertly pulled out her phone and pulled up her camera as Elvis took the stage and began playing I'm gone Mama. **(I don't know any Elvis songs, I'm not a huge rock fan myself).**

"Uh, guys, I think we should've gotten the totem first." Zari said as they listened to the music.

"Why?" Laurel asked.

"Because of that." Zari said as she pointed out a ghost forming.

"I'll handle it." Oliver said, since he had a feeling he knew who this ghost was as he rushed outside.

* * *

Sure enough, when Oliver turned around, he found that the spirit had followed him and that it was only him that it was after. He knew who it was before the ghost had even finished taking it's form.

"Dad." Oliver said as the ghost of Robert Queen appeared.

"Hello son." Robert said with a smile.

"I've missed you so much." Oliver said, tears actually coming to his eyes.

"I know son. I've been watching you closely." Robert said as Oliver sniffled.

"I've been trying to do what you asked, save the city." Oliver said and Robert smiled.

"And you have far exceeded any expectations I had of you Oliver. I am so proud of the man you've become." Robert said and Oliver smiled at that.

"I'm so sorry dad." Oliver said.

"For what?" Robert asked, confused.

"That you had to give up your life to save mine." Oliver said as he realized that even after everything he's been through, despite having thought he already came to terms with his father's death, even now, he still blamed himself.

"Don't apologize for that Oliver, that was my choice and I stand by it now, since if I hadn't had done that, you never would've had the chance to become the man you are now. The man who will leave behind a far better legacy than I ever could've. You don't need to forgive yourself Oliver." Robert said.

"Why not?" Oliver asked.

"Because, there's nothing for you to forgive yourself for Oliver. Don't blame yourself for my choice anymore son. It's time that you truly move on from me and become your own man. Out of all my accomplishments, the only ones I am truly proud of are you and your sister." Robert said and Oliver smiled.

"Thank you dad." Oliver said as he felt that weight truly be lifted from his shoulders.

"My time is coming to an end, I can feel it. Please, give your mother and sisters messages from me." Robert said.

"Of course." Oliver said.

"First, tell your mother that I love her and I'm so happy that she managed to find happiness again. All I ever wanted was for her to truly be happy." Robert said and Oliver nodded.

"I'll tell her." Oliver said.

"Tell Thea that while she may not be mine by blood, I am still so proud to call her my daughter and that she is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. And finally, tell Emiko that I'm sorry for the way I treated her and her mother, but despite everything she did, including letting me die, yes I know about that, tell her that I forgive her and I'm proud to call her my daughter to." Robert said.

"I'll tell them." Oliver promised as his father's ghost began to fade.

"Thank you Oliver." Robert said.

"I miss you so much dad." Oliver said and Robert smiled at him.

"Remember son, I'm never too far away." Robert said as he faded completely.

"Goodbye dad. I love you." Oliver said with a smile as he finally made peace with his father's death.

* * *

When Oliver returned to the club, he found Laurel, Nate and Zari arguing with Elvis, most likely over the guitar.

"Mind, if I cut in?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not giving up this guitar." Elvis said and Oliver couldn't help but feel a bit honored that the king was speaking to him.

"I know why you want to keep the guitar. When you play it, you feel connected to your brother." Oliver said.

"How do you know that?" Elvis asked as the other three looked at Oliver.

"Doesn't matter. But I do know what it's like to miss someone who's gone so much that you'd do anything to see them again. I lost my father and it wasn't until recently that I realized that even though he's gone, he's never too far away. You don't need a guitar to connect to your brother. He may be dead, but he'll never be gone, not completely. He'll always be close by, if you know where to look." Oliver said.

"You really think so?" Elvis asked him.

"I do. Jesse lives on in your memory and as long as you don't forget him, he'll never truly be gone. And honestly, I think there might be a way where we can both get we want." Oliver said.

"How?" Elvis asked.

"Can I have the guitar for a minute?" Oliver asked and Elvis nodded as he handed Oliver the guitar and Oliver placed his hand on the death totem and after a moment, he managed to remove it.

"We just needed this thing that was attached to your guitar." Oliver said.

"Actually, I think I'll let you keep the guitar to. Consider it a thank you for helping open my eyes." Elvis said and Oliver smiled and nodded.

"Would you mind signing it?" Nate asked and Elvis grinned.

"Gotta pen?" he asked as Nate quickly pulled one out of his pocket and signed the guitar.

"Thank you Mr. Presley." Oliver said as he held out his hand, which Elvis shook.

"No, thank you, thank you very much for reminding that Jesse is never too far away." Elvis said with a smile as he walked away.


	170. Chapter 170

"So now we have all 6 totems." Rip said as he looked from Zari, Mari and Kuasa to the chest where they were storing the earth, fire and death totems.

"Yeah, now we just need to figure out who give the remaining three totems to." Oliver said.

"It's not that simple Oliver." Nora said.

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked.

"Well actually, for Earth and Fire it is that simple, but the death totem is still linked to Mallus. Anyone who uses it will be at risk of falling under his influence." Nora said.

"She's right. Before we can use the death totem, we need to figure out how to remove its connection to Mallus before I'd even consider letting him out." Constantine said.

"Can't we just fight him with the 5 totems that aren't connected to the demon?" Ray asked.

"No, because that's what caused this problem in the first place." Mari said.

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked.

"While you guys were talking to Elvis, Kuasa and I used the lyoga root to access the memories of the original totem bearers so we could find out how exactly they fought Mallus to begin with and it turns out that the 5 totems alone aren't strong enough to kill Mallus, only imprison him. We need the added power of the death totem to kill him once and for all." Mari said.

"It's true, that's why Mallus corrupted the 6th tribe of Zambezi, to make sure that they never had the power to truly defeat him." Nora said.

"How do you know so much about him?" Oliver asked Nora curiously.

"You don't spend years working with a demon without learning a few things about him." Nora said.

"So, how do we break Mallus's connection to the totem?" Laurel asked.

"No idea, but we can't fight the demon until we can successfully kill him and it will take time to determine how to do it." Constantine said.

"Well in the meantime, we should at least figure out who to give Earth and Fire to." Rip said.

"Well, as a man of steel, I've always felt a strong connection to the earth, Also, I've watched every single episode of "Planet Earth" on Blu-ray, and I was only stoned all of the time. Can I please have the damn totem?" Nate asked Mari tossed him the Earth Totem.

"What about fire?" Laurel asked as all eyes turned to Ronnie.

"No thanks, I have my own fire power, I don't think it's a good idea to add any additional power to it." Ronnie said.

"He's not wrong. You know what they say about having too much of something. Especially power over something as dangerous as fire." Constantine warned.

"So, who should get the Fire totem then?" Laurel asked.

"Well, fire is probably the most powerful element, since it has the potential to both help and harm the planet, since we rely on it for light, heat and energy, but it's also incredibly destructive." Ray said.

"Okay, here's the totem." Mari said, tossing the fire totem to Ray.

"I wasn't trying to make a pitch for one." Ray said.

"Well you got one anyways." Mari said and Ray nodded.

"So, do these things have instructions or what?" Nate asked.

"While we figure out how to make the death totem safe to use, Mari, Kuasa, you two can teach Nate and Ray how to use their totems." Oliver said and everyone nodded in agreement with that plan.


	171. Chapter 171

"What are you doing?" Nora asked as she watched Constantine dip the death totem into water.

"This is holy water." Constantine said.

"You really think that dipping a totem in holy water is going to be enough to remove Mallus's connection." Nora asked incredulously.

"Well, do you have a better idea?" Constantine asked.

"No, but I have an idea." Nora said.

"I'm listening." Constantine said.

"What if we're looking at it the wrong way. Maybe it's a battle of willpower." Nora said.

"What do you mean?" Constantine asked.

"Maybe the only way to free the totem of Mallus's corruption is to actually overcome him." Nora said.

"You want to put the death totem on and try to beat the demon in his own realm?" Constantine asked.

"I've been in that realm before, several times. I'm the only one who stands a chance at pulling this off." Nora said.

"And how do I know that Mallus isn't possessing you?" John asked.

"Because if he was I would've put the totem on and killed you without hesitation." Nora pointed out.

"That's fair." Constantine admitted.

"Look, I know it's risky, but it's our best chance. Besides, we'll do this in the brig and you are going to place every protective spell you can think of to keep me from escaping in case I do go all demon." Nora said.

"Fine, let's do it." Constantine said, though it was clear he was not a fan of this plan.

"I would advise you to inform the rest of the crew what you're intending." Gideon advised.

"Where is everyone?" Nora asked.

"Captain Hunter is on the bridge, Ms. Jiwe and Ms. Jiwe are in the training room, currently attempting to teach Dr. Heywood and Dr. Palmer how to use their totems while Ms. Tomaz is there watching the show, Mr. Raymond is performing routine maintenance in the engine room and Mr. and Mrs. Queen are in the galley with their daughter." Gideon said.

"She's right, considering what we're doing, we should at least warn them and have the other totems on standby in case something goes wrong." Constantine said and Nora nodded her agreement.

* * *

Nora was now standing in the sealed off brig of the ship, which was covered by protective enchantments by Constantine and he, Mari, Kuasa, Zari, Ray and Nate were standing outside the cage, all of them ready to act if something went wrong.

"Last chance to back out." Constantine said to Nora.

"I have to do this. To make amends for what I did." Nora said as she placed the death totem around her neck

For a moment nothing happened, and then Nora's skin and hair suddenly turned pure white as her eyes went completely black.

"You were a fool to do this. Even if I can't get the girl, this will be a more than accurate host." a voice that clearly was not Nora's said.

"Mallus." Constantine said as he and the others got ready.

"You were a fool to let her do this John. She will be mine and I will have my host." Mallus said.

"No, you won't. She's strong, she'll survive." Constantine said.

"She'll never escape me." Mallus said.

"Fight him Nora. You're stronger than he is." Constantine shouted.

* * *

When Nora opened her eyes, she found herself in Mallus's realm.

"You were a fool to come back here Nora. You'll never leave now." Mallus's voice said.

"I never should've aligned myself with you. I'm trying to atone for that." Nora said.

"There are so many other things for you to atone for. You really think that you can atone for all you did." Mallus asked as Nora turned to see one of her countless victims cowering under her past self.

"I know, I have a lot to make amends for." Nora said.

"You know, if the queen daughter hadn't had been born, you would've been my choice of vessel." Mallus said.

"What was so special about her that you abandoned your plans for me?" Nora asked.

"Unlike you, her parents had no real magic experience, she'd have no idea how to defend herself against me and I could begin possessing her as soon as she's old enough to commit her first sin. Once that happens, her soul is no longer pure enough to protect her from my power." Mallus said.

"You'll never get the chance." Nora insisted.

"You really think that you can beat my power. The darkness inside you is one of the reasons I originally chose you." Mallus said.

"No, those actions are my past. They don't define me, not anymore. They are not my future and neither are you. We will defeat you and now we will finally have the power to kill you." Nora said as she forced Mallus out of her body.

* * *

Nora or Mallus screamed as suddenly her appearance went back to normal.

"Nora." Constantine said as Nora's eyes opened their normal color.

"I'm back." Nora said.

"Did it work?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, it did." Nora said as she looked down at the totem around her neck.

"So the demon is no longer controlling the totem's power?" Constantine asked.

"No, it's power is all mine now." Nora said.

"Your's?" Kuasa asked.

"When I put the totem on, I felt it claim me, that's how I was able to force Mallus to relinquish it. The totem sided with me over him." Nora said.

"It is possible. I guess we'll have to trust you with the totem. For now anyways." Mari said as Constantine let Nora out of the brig.

"So, we've got control over all 6 totems, what's our plan now?" Zari asked.

"We kill Mallus." Nora said.


	172. Chapter 172

"So, now that we have control over the 6 totems, the question still remains, how do we use them to kill a demon?" Oliver asked as they all gathered in the bridge.

"We can't kill Mallus in his own domain." Nora said.

"So we have to bring him here to use the power of the totems to kill him." Laurel said.

"We can't seriously be contemplating letting a demon out of his cage. A cage that we have no idea what else might be trapped in there with him." Constantine protested.

"We don't have a choice. It's the only way we can kill him." Oliver said.

"Except even if we opened the door, he still wouldn't be able to come through." Constantine said.

"What do you mean?" Rip asked.

"A demon like Mallus needs a host. Without a host, he can't fully appear in this realm." Constantine said.

"Isn't there a way you could force him to come out of the prison without a host?" Oliver asked.

"Not likely mate. He's too powerful for my magic." Constantine asked.

"So, the only way to stop Mallus is to sacrifice someone here." Rip asked.

"Unfortunately so." Constantine said, causing all of them to be silent.

"I'll do it." Ronnie said.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"I'll be Mallus's host." Ronnie said.

"You don't know what you're signing up for mate. If you do this, you're making a deal with a demon, you will die." Constantine said.

"It's happened before and just like the last time I died, I'm doing it to help people. Besides, something tells me that this was what I was always meant to do." Ronnie said.

"Ronnie, are you sure you want to do this?" Oliver asked.

"I joined this team to save the world. I think this qualifies. Besides, I've never really fit in on this team or on team SuperFlash." Ronnie said.

"Are you sure about this Ronnie? Once you commit to this, there's no going back." Nora warned.

"I'm sure." Ronnie said.

"Ronnie, I don't even know how to begin to thank you for this." Oliver said.

"Tell Jasmine what I did for her to have a future again." Ronnie said.

"We'll make sure she knows." Laurel assured him.

"Thank you." Ronnie said.

"Alright bud, let's get a demon in you. I have to warn you, it won't be pleasant." Constantine said as Ronnie took a deep breath.

"Can I at least get a last meal first?" Ronnie asked and Oliver smiled slightly at that.

"You can have it here or we can go to the present, anywhere you want, it's on me." Oliver said.

"I think I'll have it here. We should also figure out a safe place to fight the demon." Ronnie said.

"He's right about that. We need to make sure that we don't create more problems. I still can't believe I'm agreeing to do this." Constantine said.

"I would've found a way to force you to do it anyways." Oliver said.

"I don't doubt that. Only reason I'm doing it now is so that I have the strength to help kill it later." Constantine said.

"Smart man." Laurel said, since she likely would've helped Oliver coerce Constantine, since while she was normally a very reasonable person, she was also a very overprotective mother and that outweighed her reasonable side.

"Let's go release a demon." Oliver said, really hoping that this worked.


	173. Chapter 173

"Are you sure this place is a good location for this?" Oliver asked as they arrived in Zambezi, 1892.

"The totems are strongest in Zambezi and considering what we're about to do, we need them to be as strong as possible." Kuasa said.

"But by choosing this location, don't we risk altering the timeline of your entire nation?" Laurel asked.

"That's why we chose a location far away from the villages. We're still in Zambezi, just in a part of the area that isn't usually isn't inhabited. In fact, this area is actually warded off in our time as cursed. No one will come here, so we should be safe." Mari said and they all nodded in agreement.

"So, how does this work exactly?" Ronnie asked as he felt the weird presence of the demon that Constantine had put inside him.

"I'll open the prison and the demon will then take over your body and you will die." Constantine said.

"Meanwhile, we will use the totems to kill Mallus once and for all." Kuasa said.

"And how exactly do we do that?" Zari asked.

"By uniting their powers into one enormous force of good." Mari said.

"And how do we do that?" Nate asked.

"Follow us, do as we say." Mari said.

"Okay." Nate said as Ray nodded as well.

"First, we need to hold hands and form a circle." Kuasa said.

"Then what?" Nora asked.

"Ray, use your fire to provide our champion with it's spark. Zari use to air to give it breath." Mari said.

"I will use my water to flow life's blood through its veins." Kuasa said and Mari nodded.

"Nate, you're then going to use the earth totem to give our champion flesh. I'll use my spirit to provide it with a soul." Mari said.

"So what about me?" Nora asked.

"These 5 totems aren't strong enough to kill Mallus. Death is needed to kill him." Mari said and Nora nodded.

"Okay so, let's do this." Oliver said.

"I still think that we should be the ones who do this." Laurel said of her and Oliver.

"No, it's best that you two aren't a part of this, since you're both too close to the situation." Mari said.

"Besides, we don't know what else we could potentially be unleashing on these people. Since Mr. Constantine is devoting his magic to trying to keep the demon from leaving this area after we release him, the three of us must be ready to stop anything else from being unleashed." Rip said and they both nodded.

"Shall we begin then?" Constantine asked.

"Thank you for doing this Ronnie." Laurel said.

"Constantine, before you do it, can you do that other thing we talked about?" Ronnie asked.

"Yes and it's best I do that first." Constantine said and Ronnie nodded as Constantine held out a strange bottle and began chanting.

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked as an orange fire began to be extracted from Ronnie's body and soon it was all contained in that bottle.

"Removing the Firestorm matrix from me. I didn't want to risk it giving Mallus more power." Ronnie explained.

"Plus, now it can be transferred to another, a new Firestorm. In a way, Mr. Raymond will continue to live on." Constantine said and they nodded.

"Okay, I'm ready." Ronnie said as he closed his eyes as Constantine placed the bottle down and began chanting. The more he chanted, more black veins began appearing on Ronnie's face.

"You'd better start making your warrior." Oliver said to the totem bearers, who nodded as their totems began firing 6 beams of energy, fusing together in the center of the circle they'd made, the light glowing and growing around them as their champion began to take form.

"It's too late." Ronnie said in a voice that was definitely not Ronnie's as his body crumbled and Mallus's huge demon form took his place.

"Thank you for opening the door John Constantine. I might actually consider letting you live because of that." Mallus said.

"I only let you out so that they could kill you." Constantine said as he tried to hold Mallus in place.

"You really think that they can kill me?" Mallus asked with cold laugh, right as the ground shook as the energy over took the 6 totem bearers, fusing them into one huge being.

"Is that?" Laurel asked in shock as the champion's form became clear.

"I can't believe it." Oliver said as Constantine chuckled a bit.

"I suppose it is fitting, since there's one thing that never fails to scare any creature after a girl, be it a demon, or a boy. An overprotective father." Constantine said as the champion was revealed to be a Mallus-sized Green Arrow, a complete look alike of Oliver.

"Mallus, you have failed this reality." Totems-Green Arrow shouted as he pulled an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at the demon.


	174. Chapter 174

"I can't believe that is what their champion ended up looking like." Oliver said as they watched Totem Green Arrow fire one of his arrows at Mallus.

"That champion is complete replica with you, with all your skills, plus the magical powers of the 6 totems." Constantine said.

"That demon doesn't stand a chance. I mean, the powers of earth, air, fire, water, spirit and death, combined with all of Ollie's skills." Laurel said.

"Not to mention all the years of anger I've kept pent up over all these years, not even the strongest demon can match that." Oliver agreed, since this avatar not only had his skill from the past 10 years, but also the past 12 years of experience from prior to the reality change, not to mention all his pent up anger, that demon did not stand a chance.

"That's true mate. I've met people with some serious pent up anger before, but all of them combined still don't even come close to the anger that I've picked up from you Oliver." Constantine said and Oliver nodded.

Before Laurel could ask him about that, their attention turned back to the battle as Mallus chucked a fireball at Totem Green Arrow, dodged it and fired another arrow arrow that released water, putting it out. It seemed that these arrows were imbued with the elemental powers of the totems.

Green Arrow then slugged Mallus, sending him flying backwards before lunging after him and giving Mallus the beating Oliver had always wanted to give him.

"Time to end this." Green Arrow said.

"I agree. Not even the 6 can stop me now." Mallus shouted, despite being very beaten.

"Don't be so sure about that. You will never lay a hand on Jasmine Queen again!" Green Arrow shouted as he fired 6 arrows, one after another, each one representing one of the elements.

First Mallus was hit by fire, earth, water, air, spirit and then finally, Green Arrow aimed an arrow right at Mallus's chest and fired his death arrow at him.

"No!" Mallus screamed as the arrow did it's job and he vanished as he died and the totem avatar vanished, splitting back into the 6 bearers.

"We did it, we destroyed the demon." Mari said as they took it in.

"I'm just curious, who's idea was it to have the avatar be me?" Oliver asked.

"Mine. I thought it would only be fitting if you were the one who killed the demon who threatened your daughter." Nate said and Oliver chuckled.

"Fair enough." Oliver said.

"Too bad we lost Ronnie in the process." Ray said.

"John, do you know if?" Zari asked.

"He's with the angels now." Constantine assured them.

"We should get back to the ship and get you home." Rip said and Oliver and Laurel both nodded, since they had been away from home for too long already.

* * *

"Well I guess this is the end of our journey." Oliver said as they gathered in the bridge.

"Yes, this mission was accomplished, though we will miss Mr. Raymond." Rip said.

"His spirit will live on in the next Firestorm. I'll get the next matrix to Barry and Kara, let them find the next Firestorm." Oliver said.

"Now we can get you two, your daughter, Mari, Kuasa and Mr. Constantine back to the present." Rip said.

"Actually, if it's alright with you, I think I'm only going back to go back to the present to pack." Constantine said.

"What do you mean pack?" Rip asked.

"Well, considering that Mallus was not the only creature to escape the prison, I figure you could use someone of my talents to take them down." Constantine said.

"Fair point. I will tell gideon to have quarters prepared for you." Rip said.

"Thank you." Constantine said.

"I think I'm going to stick around to, since I'm a fugitive back in my time if you don't mind." Nora said and Rip nodded.

"I can agree to that." Rip said.

"The further you are from Jasmine, the better." Oliver agreed and Nora flinched, though knowing that she deserved it.

"Well I for one can't wait to go home. Zambezi needs it's protectors back." Mari said.

"Yeah, about that." Kuasa said.

"What?" Mari asked.

"I talked to Rip when I first bonded with the water totem and Mari, only the bearer of the Anansi totem can defend our village, it's our way. The tribe of the water totem died out years ago. I think my time is better spent here." Kuasa said.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Mari asked.

"Protecting our home is your destiny. I think this will help me find mine." Kuasa said and Mari nodded.

"Gideon, set a course for 2017 Star City." Rip said.

"Right away Captain." Gideon said.


	175. Chapter 175

I took this chapter down because I wasn't satisfied with how it ended, so I decided to add more before reposting it.

* * *

After they returned to 2017, about a week or so after they'd left to begin with, Oliver and Laurel were very happy to return home and the Legends were actually staying in the present for a bit, since they'd decided to hold a proper vigil and funeral for Ronnie.

"I can't believe that we're finally done that with that crazy adventure." Laurel said as they unpacked in their home.

"Tell me about it. It's nice to be home." Oliver said.

"I couldn't agree more. I wonder if anything significant has happened while we were gone?" Laurel asked.

"To everyone else it's only been a week. I doubt much could have happened, but we'll get the full download tomorrow morning. Let's just try and enjoy our night back home first." Oliver said and Laurel nodded in agreement.

* * *

At the same time, Thea and Roy were leading the Glades Police Task Force through an alley, since this was where the weapons buy was supposed to be going down.

"Alpha team in position." Roy said.

"Same here for Bravo team." Thea said.

"Team Arrow in position." Emiko said as she and John took their places on the rooftop.

"Yeah, you guys got incoming." Winn said over the comms.

"Looks like a vehicle incoming." Roy said as they saw members of the Blackout gang walk up to the vehicle.

"Here's our supplier." Thea said as they saw a few men in suits get out of the car.

"Where's Mr. Midas?" one of the thugs asked.

"He was unable to make it, but he sends his regards." the leader of the men said.

"Wait, Midas as in James Midas, the CEO of Midas Medical?" Spartan asked as they watched the whole ordeal.

"We trust that you were satisfied with the taste we gave you?" the man said.

"Oh yeah. We're willing to buy as many of those bullets as you've got." the Blackout gang member said and the guy in the suit smiled.

"Let's move in." Roy shouted as the cops swarmed the place.

"Freeze, SCPD, you're under arrest." Thea shouted as her team engaged along with Roy's.

"Not today." one of the thugs in suits said as shots were exchanged and they quickly realized that it wasn't ordinary bullets in the criminals were using.

"They're using poison bullets." Thea said as she worked hard to keep Frostbite from coming out.

"We could use a little back up here." Roy said into his comms, fortunately, it was too loud and chaotic for the other cops to hear.

"We're on it." Green Arrow said as she fired a cable arrow that she and Spartan than slid down to join the fight.

However, despite that, they were still clearly outgunned by the fact that they were using poisonous bullets.

"Fall back." Roy shouted as the cops did exactly that.

"He's right. We're outgunned. We need to know exactly what we're dealing with." Spartan said to Green Arrow, who nodded as they both made their own way out of line of fire themselves.

* * *

"So, how'd it go?" John asked Roy and Thea when they entered the bunker after reporting the incident to Captain Lance.

"About as well as we expected. He scolded us for the failed operation, but was also relieved that there weren't any casualties on our side." Roy said.

"But he was pissed we had to let them get away." Thea said.

"Not like we had much of a choice." Emiko grumbled.

"But, now that we have some idea of what we're up against, so we can better prepare." Winn said.

"And we who's responsible. James Midas." Thea said.

"Quentin's already working on getting a warrant to search his office, but in the meantime, we need to figure what his next move is." Roy said.

"I wish Oliver were here to help though." John said, right as Thea's phone buzzed and she saw it was text from Oliver.

"It's almost as if he was waiting for someone to say that." Thea said.

"What do you mean?" Roy asked.

"I just got a text from Oliver, he and Laurel just got back from their trip. Jasmine is safe and he's looking forward to finding what they missed." Thea said.

"Not sure I'm looking forward to though." John said.

"None of us are, but we're gonna need his help on this." Thea said and they all nodded in agreement on that.


	176. Chapter 176

The next morning, Oliver and Laurel entered the bunker and they both had to admit that it was good to be home.

"It's so good to have you back." Thea said as she hugged her brother.

"Good to be back. Honestly, our little time travel adventure was interesting, but I'm glad to be back." Oliver said.

"So am I. Now I can enjoy the rest of my maternity leave before I go back to work." Laurel said and Thea smiled.

"I don't blame you." Thea said.

"So anyways, what did we miss?" Oliver asked.

"Actually, you have good timing." John said as he and Emiko entered the base, along with Winn and Roy.

"Really, why's that?" Oliver asked.

"The SCPD is tracking a new form of weaponry, poisonous bullets. They were used by the Blackout Gang to attack the Los Halcones. We could end up looking at a gang war." Emiko said.

"I'm guessing you tried to intercept a weapons buy and it did not go as planned?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We had to retreat. Outgunned." Emiko said.

"I would've done the same thing." Oliver said.

"Wait, what?" John asked.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can't win every fight. But you can do is take your losses and learn from them and become better. And I'm assuming that we at least got intel we can use." Oliver said.

"Yeah, the bullets were provided by Midas Medical. Quentin is working on getting a warrant to search his place." Thea said.

"I'll call Rene, see if he can expedite it, since until my maternity leave is over, he's in charge of the city." Laurel said.

"In the meantime, Winn, any ideas on what kind of poison those bullets are using. We need to figure out exactly what we're up against." Oliver said.

"Yep. Thanks to the samples Roy got me last night I was able to determine that we are dealing with Chlormethine." Winn said.

"What's Chlormethine?" Thea asked.

"It's a cytotoxic agent derived from mustard gas." Emiko said.

"How do you know that?" Oliver asked.

"I was raised and trained by the Ninth Circle, I know a thing or two about chemical weapons." Emiko pointed out.

"Fair enough." Oliver agreed.

"Anyways, the interesting part about this is that this particular chemical weapon was banned decades ago." Winn said.

"Then how is it possible that it's being used now without drawing suspicion?" Roy asked.

"Because while it was banned as a weapon, Chlormethine is still legal if it's used for medicinal purposes." Winn said.

"Medicinal?" Roy asked.

"Chemotherapy treatments, things like that." Winn said.

"And let me guess, every trail leads back to Midas Medical." Thea said.

"Exactly. It's one of the only 4 labs that still use it as an active ingredient." Winn said.

"And look at this, the buck stops at Midas Medical." Oliver said as he looked at the records Winn had pulled up.

"James Midas. I've met him at a few SCPD fundraisers, he's got deep pockets and he used them to help the SCPD." Laurel said.

"We need to bring him in." Thea said.

"We'll need more proof if we want this to stick." Roy pointed out.

"Roy, Thea, keep working with the cops, in the meantime, John, Emiko and I will work on getting legitimate evidence." Oliver said.

"What about Laurel?" John asked.

"I'm still on maternity leave not just from City Hall, but also Team Arrow until Jasmine is able to sleep through the night." Laurel said and they nodded at her.

"Wait, what about the body cam footage from the SCPD strike team. Isn't there footage of one of Midas's thugs mentioning him by name?" John asked.

"That evidence is circumstantial, since they have no way of actually proving that James Midas is the one they're talking about. We need incontrovertible proof." Laurel said, reminding them of her legal expertise.

"Let's get to work." Oliver said.

"Well, I think I know a good place to start." Winn said.

"Where?" Oliver asked.

"Something I started working back before I left Argus. It's an algorithm that can scan for chemical compositions anywhere in Star City." Winn said.

"Meaning?" Thea asked.

"Meaning that once he uploads the program to the QC satellite, we can use it to find out exactly where Midas is storing the chemicals." Oliver said and Winn nodded.

"Exactly. I'm uploading it to the satellite now." Winn said.

"If we can get proof of Midas using the chemicals to make weapons, we can get him." Thea said, right as the computers went off.

"Got a hit. It's a warehouse registered to what looks like a shell corporation." Winn said.

"Let's go. Winn, tap into the security system so we know what we're getting ourselves into." Oliver said.

"On it." Winn said.

"Let's suit up." Oliver said.

"I don't have a suit though." Emiko said.

"Actually you do. Cisco sent it over about a week ago." Oliver said as he pressed a button and a new case next to the Spartan suit opened up to reveal a silver version of Emiko's old ninth circle gear.

"Figured we'd stay with the look, just a different color." Oliver said.

"I love it." Emiko said.

"Good. Now let's suit up." Oliver said as they moved to suit up, right as Thea's phone rang.

"Hello? Yeah, okay we'll be right there." Thea said.

"What's going on?" Roy asked.

"That was Lance, an informant turned up a tip on same warehouse. He wants Roy and I to lead the raid." Thea said.

"This is good. We'll secure the evidence and wrap up Midas by the time you arrive." Oliver said and Thea and Roy nodded in agreement as they headed out while Oliver, John and Emiko moved to suit up.


	177. Chapter 177

**To the person who seems to think that the review column for my stories is for expressing their opinions on the arrowverse, knock it off. The review section for my stories is exactly that, for reviews to my story, not for you to vent your ideas about what will come in the Arrowverse or give spoilers. From now on, any of your guest comments will be deleted, since it's getting annoying.**

 **To the rest of you, I'm sorry you had to read that, but it needed to be done. This message is to the guest reviewer on , not Wattpad.**

* * *

James Midas knew that after he'd heard that SCPD and the vigilantes had been spotted intercepting the deal with the Blackout gang, he knew it was only a matter of time until he had SCPD breathing down his neck.

That was why he, along with a crap load of gun toting goons, were in the warehouse that he was storing the chemicals, trying to get rid of the evidence.

"I want all of this removed. Not a single drop left behind. Take it to the reservoir. If anyone tries to stop you, I don't care who it is, kill them." Midas said, unaware that Green Arrow, Spartan and Artemis were hiding behind some barrels and that Green Arrow had just recorded everything he just said.

"If they take those chemicals to the reservoir, everyone in Star City will be at risk." Spartan said.

"We can't let that truck leave." Artemis said.

"We won't. Winn, what's the ETA on the SCPD?" Green Arrow asked.

"5 minutes and can I please get a codename already? I mean seriously, I'm the only member of this team who doesn't have one." Winn said over the comms.

"How about Vulcan. Blacksmith of the roman gods?" Artemis suggested.

"And the name of the race that Spock comes from in Star Trek, I love it." Winn said and Artemis grinned.

"Okay, now that we've gotten that settled, can we please get back to the matter at hand?" Green Arrow asked, annoyed.

"Right, sorry. Anyways, they're preparing to move out." Vulcan said.

"Let's do this. Spartan, Artemis, deal with the thugs, I'll secure the evidence. Vulcan make sure the SCPD is able to apprehend Midas." Green Arrow said.

"On it." Vulcan said as Spartan and Artemis nodded.

"I've already sent that recording of Midas's plan to dump the chemicals in the reservoir to SCPD. That should help their case." Vulcan said.

"Copy. Let's do this." Green Arrow said as fired an explosive arrow to get their attention.

"James Midas, you have failed this city." Green Arrow shouted as they jumped onto the scene.

"Kill them." Midas said as his thugs began shooting at the vigilantes, but none of them could land a hit.

"Nice try." Artemis said smugly as they returned fire.

"Remember, we need to leave the chemicals intact." Green Arrow said.

"Got it." Spartan said and Artemis nodded her agreement.

"You have another problem, Midas used the chaos to escape. He's about three minutes away from being a free man." Vulcan said.

"Not if we can help it. SCPD is almost there. You guys get Midas, we'll secure the evidence." Thea said over the comms.

"Copy that." Green Arrow said.

"Go, we'll handle things here." Artemis said and Green Arrow nodded as he ran after Midas.

* * *

"Let's get out of here." Midas said as he and his guards arrived at his car.

However, suddenly, both of his guards taken down by arrows in their arms.

"You're not going anywhere." Green Arrow said as Midas held up a gun at him.

"Don't come any closer." Midas said.

"Quit posturing. You're not gonna do it. You don't have the nerve. Hiring killers, that's easy, but actually doing it yourself, not so much." Green Arrow said.

"You really think I won't do it?" Midas asked.

"No, I don't. But just in case." Green Arrow said as he fired an arrow into Midas's hand, forcing him to drop his gun before firing two cable arrows to ensnare him to a column, right as Thea came in, dressed in her SCPD gear with her squad.

"James Midas, you're under arrest." Thea said as she aimed her gun at him.

"You really think this will hold?" Midas asked.

"Considering all the chemicals we just confiscated, you're going away for a very long time." Thea said, since Roy had led the other strike team to secure the chemicals.

"I'll let you take it from here, Detective Queen." Green Arrow said.

"Thank you for all your help, Green Arrow." Thea said as her brother nodded at her before disappearing.


	178. Chapter 178

"So, you're closing Queen Consolidated tomorrow for Thanksgiving? I thought they didn't do that?" Laurel asked.

"Thanksgiving is a time for family, not work. That's why I've insisted on closing the company for the holiday. The board wasn't very happy about it, but from what I heard, the rest of our employees were very happy that they'd be able to spend the holiday with their families." Oliver said.

"Good, best to keep the employees on your side." Laurel pointed out.

"My thinking exactly." Oliver said.

"Speaking of Thanksgiving, don't forget that tomorrow is the canned food drive at City Hall Rene and I have been working on." Laurel said.

"Relax, that's part of the reason I closed the office. It didn't seem fair to make my employees work during thanksgiving if I didn't have to be there, since I was already planning on being there. There's no better way to spend Thanksgiving than helping the less fortunate." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Sometimes I still can't believe how much you've changed from the man you were when we first met." Laurel said as she placed her hands on his cheeks.

"Neither can I. Honestly, I think that guy did die when the Gambit went down 10 years ago. I think someone else came back." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Maybe so. Anyways, back to tomorrow, after the canned food drive, we are going to your parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner. Who else was invited?" Laurel asked.

"Us, Thea and Roy, Emiko, your dad, Samantha and William and Mom said that we could invite whoever we wanted, so I invited John and Winn, not sure if either of them are bringing dates. I'm surprised she didn't invite Sara and Alex." Oliver said.

"She wanted to, but I told her not to, since they are celebrating with Alex's family this year. We get them for Christmas since it's also Sara's birthday." Laurel explained and Oliver nodded.

"Sounds fair. It is nice that both of our families both live in Star City." Oliver said.

"And convenient." Laurel added.

"What about your mom?" Oliver asked.

"I honestly don't know what she's doing. I invited her to join us for Thanksgiving, since as far as I know, she and dad are still friends and I thought she'd want to be here to spend time with her granddaughter." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"Maybe she's trying to surprise you." Oliver suggested.

"Maybe." Laurel said, since it could be a possibility.

* * *

"Glad you were able to make it." Rene said to Laurel when she arrived at the canned food drive they were holding at City Hall for Thanksgiving.

"What, you forget that this was my idea?" Laurel asked her deputy mayor.

"No, but since you're still on maternity leave, I wasn't sure if you'd be able to make it." Rene explained.

"Fair enough, but even though I can't get back to work yet, I can be here to help oversee this event. Besides, look who I brought with me." Laurel said as her husband walked up them, their daughter in his arms.

"Rene, it's good to see you again." Oliver said.

"You to Oliver. I'd shake your hand, but you appear to have your hands full." Rene said with a chuckle.

"Yeah pretty much." Oliver agreed.

"So, is your daughter here?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah, Zoe's helping out over there." Rene said, pointing to where Zoe was helping sort out of some newly arrived items.

"Well, maybe you could call her over." Laurel said.

"Zoe, can you come here please?" Rene called to his daughter.

"Yeah dad?" Zoe asked as she walked over to them.

"This is my boss Laurel Queen, her husband Oliver and their daughter Jasmine." Rene said.

"It's nice to meet you." Zoe said politely.

"You look about the age of my son." Oliver said.

"You have a son?" Rene asked.

"From a prior relationship." Oliver said and Rene nodded in understanding.

"My son William and his mother Samantha actually just moved here from Central City. He'll be attending Star City Middle School next week." Oliver said.

"That's where I go. Dad was quick to pull me out of Glades Junior High after he got this job." Zoe said.

"Just because Laurel and I are doing a lot of good to help clean up the glades, doesn't mean that my girl shouldn't be getting the best education possible and she's getting that at Star City Middle." Rene said.

"Agreed. I think William and his mother will be here today." Oliver said.

"Actually, we just arrived." Samantha said.

"Samantha, William, it's so good to see you could make it." Laurel said to them both.

"We wouldn't miss this." Samantha said with a smile.

"William, this is Zoe Ramirez. She's going to be one of your classmates at Star City Middle School." Oliver said.

"Nice to meet you." William said as he held out his hand to Zoe, who shook it.

"You to. Do you want to help me out?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah sure." William said as they walked off.

"I'm glad to see he's already made a friend. It'll make it easier for him to adjust to his new school if he already knows someone." Oliver said and Samantha nodded.

"So, what are you and Zoe doing tonight for Thanksgiving?" Laurel asked.

"Just a quiet night for the two of us at home. Nothing big." Rene said.

"Why don't you two join us at my family's place for thanksgiving tonight." Oliver offered.

"Thank you, but I don't want to intrude." Rene said.

"Don't worry about it. We've got plenty of room and my mother said we can invite who we want. Besides, since it will mostly be adults there tonight, I think William will enjoy having someone there this age to talk to." Oliver said, though after seeing the looks briefly shared between Rene and Samantha, he had another motive.

"Okay, we'll be there." Rene agreed.

"Can't wait." Laurel said as they continued on with the drive.


	179. Chapter 179

"So, how's the turnout been?" Oliver asked Laurel.

"It's been exceptional. I honestly thought that most people would be more concerned with typical Thanksgiving things, like tearing each other down at the grocery store for last minute food, but instead, here they are." Laurel said as John approached them.

"Hello agent Diggle." Oliver said.

"Hey Oliver. Just thought you guys should know that I will be bringing a plus one tonight." John said.

"Lyla?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, we're working things out." John said and Oliver smiled.

"I'm for you John." Oliver said.

"Thanks man." John said with a smile, right as his phone went off.

"Okay looks like I might have to take a raincheck." John said.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"Not sure, but Lyla's asking me to bring you to." John said.

Oliver looked at his wife apologetically, but she just nodded.

"Go, you can't exactly turn away the director of Argus." Laurel said.

"I promise whatever it is, we'll have it handled in time for dinner tonight." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"Don't make promises you're not sure you can keep Ollie." Laurel said.

"Come on man, let's go." John said and Oliver nodded.

* * *

"Okay, what's going on?" Oliver asked as he and John entered Argus HQ to find Lyla waiting for them.

"Sorry to do this on a holiday." Lyla said.

"Just tell us what's going on?" John asked.

"Late last night, an Argus prison facility was breached." Lyla said.

"Any idea what the motive was?" Oliver asked.

"I'm guessing that it was the cyber hacktivist organization Helix, since the only prisoner missing is their leader, Cayden James." Lyla said and Oliver silently cursed, since he should've known he'd forgotten about that last rogue in his gallery.

"Who?" John asked.

"One of the most dangerous hackers in the world. We caught him trying to take down the Argus firewalls. If he'd done that, he could've used it as a backdoor into the DEO." Lyla said.

"Was he at least being held in accordance with usual procedures?" John asked.

"He was. We held him in a normal prison, not a black ops site. His cell however was specially designed to keep him from hacking his way out." Lyla said.

"How?" John asked.

"The cell door was laced with Nth metal and entire wing was set with an EMP generator rigged to go off if any unauthorized access is detected." Lyla said and John sighed in relief and Oliver did so inwardly as well, since Cayden's original incarceration had caused some real tension in John and Lyla's marriage before.

"Do you have a way we can track him?" Oliver asked.

"Whoever took him disabled his tracker, but fortunately, there is another way we can track him." Lyla said.

"How?" John asked.

"When Cayden was arrested, as an added precaution, Alex had a microchip implanted in him that shut him out of any technology he tried to use if he started hacking again and it would broadcast his location to us." Lyla said.

"You sure that's not going too far?" John asked.

"It wasn't my call and sometimes it is necessary to go to lengths like this to protect people." Lyla said.

"I know you may not like hearing this John, but I agree with Lyla. Sometimes the ends justify the means." Oliver said.

"Maybe." John said, though he still looked uncomfortable with this.

"Lyla, is there anything we can do at this moment?" Oliver asked.

"No, I mainly called you both here to make you aware of the situation." Lyla said.

"So then, I guess that gives all of us enough time to go home and change for thanksgiving dinner tonight." Oliver said as he checked the time.

"Good idea. Might as well enjoy the holiday while we can." John agreed and Lyla nodded.

"See you there Oliver." Lyla said and Oliver nodded as he headed out.


	180. Chapter 180

So far, Thanksgiving dinner had been going well. Right now, Oliver felt like his biggest accomplishment was keeping Emiko from attacking his mother, since he knew that while she didn't blame or Thea for what had happened, especially since Oliver had been helping to make up for it, he knew that she did rightfully place the blame on his mother, since she was the one who'd forced Robert to abandon Emiko and her mother.

Jasmine was of course being doted on as usual by Moira, who had practically ripped her out of Laurel's arms the moment they arrived, not that Laurel minded, since while she loved her daughter, it would be nice to be able to talk to grown ups without having to keep certain words out of the conversation, since while Jasmine didn't even know what words were yet, Laurel didn't want to risk one of her first ones being something dirty.

They were all sitting down for dinner when suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Who's that?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know. I thought all the guests had arrived." Moira said as she gestured to have a member of the mansion staff go and find out who it was.

To everyone's surprise, when the staff member returned with Laurel's mother of all people.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Laurel asked.

"I'm sorry for crashing your Thanksgiving, but it was sort of a last minute decision to come here. I hope it's okay." Dinah said nervously.

"Of course. I actually prepared in case you did decide to accept my invitation." Moira said with a smile.

"I thought that you'd be celebrating with Sara, since they're already in Central City." Laurel said.

"True, but here I have a granddaughter that I don't want to completely forget about me. I already talked to Sara and she's actually the one who encouraged me to come here." Dinah said and Laurel was shocked and so was Quentin.

"Please, take a seat." Moira said, referring to the empty chair that suddenly made sense at the table.

"Thank you." Dinah said as she sat down.

"So, how long are you in town for?" Oliver asked his mother-in-law.

"A few days. I'm heading back to Central City this weekend. I hope that I can spend some time with my granddaughter before I go." Dinah said, looking at Laurel, since it was her choice.

"Of course you can mom." Laurel said and Dinah smiled at her thankfully.

* * *

"So, when were you going to tell me that your mom invited my mom to Thanksgiving?" Laurel asked her husband after dinner.

"Uh, when she walked in because I was as in the dark about that as you were." Oliver said and Laurel could he meant it.

"I really wish she would've called first." Laurel said.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked.

"Honestly, half the time I can't even think about my mom without screaming. I mean, she abandoned my dad and I when we needed her the most." Laurel said.

"I know. But she was also grieving and maybe that was just her way of doing it." Oliver said.

"Maybe, but still." Laurel said.

"Hey, maybe she's trying to make up for it." Oliver said.

"How can she really be making up for it when she won't even stay in the same state as us for more than a few days. I mean, dad and I both live here in Star City and Sara lives in National City." Laurel said.

"You know, you should be lucky that your mom is trying to make an effort now." Oliver said and Laurel knew that he was thinking about his father.

"This isn't like your dad." Laurel said.

"Actually it is. My dad made a lot of mistakes, even bigger and more terrible mistakes then what your mom did, and yet, despite all that, I still miss him. All I'm saying is that maybe you should try and work things out with your mother. Maybe if you make her feel more welcome in Star City, she'll feel more compelled to stay here." Oliver said.

"Maybe." Laurel said as she thought about it.


	181. Chapter 181

"What are you doing?" Laurel asked Oliver as she walked up to him on his computer later on that night after they returned home from Thanksgiving dinner.

"The reason Lyla called John and I earlier was because an Argus prisoner, a hacker named Cayden James was broken out of prison. I'm trying to see if I can find anything that might lure him back to Star City, since from what Lyla said, we cannot underestimate him." Oliver said, since he also knew this from experience, Cayden had basically set the groundwork for both Diaz's rise to power and Oliver's incarceration. But since Oliver had put Diaz in the ground a long time ago, if Cayden's son was dead, he wasn't sure who could've had Owen killed, if he was dead.

"So you're trying to know your enemy." Laurel said.

"Yeah, but the downside of him being a hacker is that he makes it next to impossible to track down." Oliver said.

"Maybe try looking into his family." Laurel suggested.

"Working on that now, but I'm no Winn. I'm actually going to be bringing this to him tomorrow, since I get the feeling that we're going to be seeing James around here sooner rather than later." Oliver said and Laurel nodded.

* * *

Kane Wolfman was sitting in his cell, actually carving hash marks in the walls of his cell.

"Dinner time." the guard said as he brought Kane his meal.

"About time." Kane said.

"You're lucky we're feeding you at all." the guard said.

"You know someday I'll get out of here right. No prison lasts forever." Kane said.

"You really think you'll have the chance to escape? Keep dreaming. You maybe deathstroke's kid, but you forget that this island kept him trapped here for years." the guard said as Kane finished eating.

"Well, I'm not my father." Kane said, right as they heard an explosion and lots of yelling.

"What the hell?" the guard asked as the door was blasted off its hinges and someone walked through the smoke. When it cleared, he saw it was a man you actually looked kind of like Kane, only a few years younger.

"I'm here for him. Hand him over and I'll let you live." the guy said.

"Not happening." the guard said and the other guy shrugged.

"Suit yourself." the guy said as he pulled out a sword and shoved it through the guard's chest before walking up to Kane's cell and unlocking it.

"You're late. By several years." Kane said.

"Sorry, but it was hard to find you without tipping off one of the interested parties." the guy said.

"Fair enough. Better late than never I guess." Kane said as he stepped out of the cell.

"I also stopped by the armory before I came here." the guy said as he held out a bag to Kane, who grinned as he took it and saw it contained his own gear.

"Any chance this is a shopping spree? I know Queen's put a few of his other more dangerous enemies here." Kane said.

"We're going on a tour next." the guy said and Kane grinned as he held out his hand.

"I'm glad we still think alike Grant." Kane said and the other guy looked up and smiled at him.

"We are brothers aren't we. And speaking of Queen, plans are already in place to prepare for our arrival. Things are in motion." Grant Wilson said and Kane grinned.

"Let's get moving." Kane said as they headed out of the cell.


	182. Chapter 182

**Sorry for the delay, but for right now, you probably should not expect updates from me as frequently as usual, though I will still be updating, it will just take longer than usual.**

* * *

"Uh, Oliver, I think you should see this." Winn said.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"Records of a murder committed while you and Laurel were off time travelling." Winn said.

"Okay and while that is something to feel bad about, why are you bringing it to my attention?" Oliver asked as Winn brought up the coroner's report.

"Because of the victim was Owen Post." Winn said and now Oliver was on full alert, though he didn't show it.

"Who's that?" Oliver asked.

"According to a lot of digging, he was Cayden James's son." Winn said.

"Do you know who killed him?" Oliver asked.

"Not yet, but the interesting thing is that the weapon used was an arrow." Winn said.

"Likely someone trying to frame me for Owen's death to James against us. We need to find proof that I didn't kill him before James tries to make a move on the city." Oliver said.

"I'm already on it." Winn said.

"Good. I don't want to even imagine the damage Cayden could do." Oliver said.

"He's just a hacker." Winn said.

"But you forget that practically everything is run by computers these days. He could kill countless people in the city." Oliver reminded Winn.

"Fair point. I just hope we have some time." Winn said.

"So do I." Oliver said, though he knew that their time was quickly running out.

* * *

Cayden James was currently sitting in a diner out in Keystone, trying to keep a low profile. The only reason he was out at all was because the people who'd arranged to have him broken out of Argus custody had asked to meet with him in person and Cayden was a man who paid his debts.

"Mr. James. It's a pleasure to meet you." a male Australian voice said as Cayden looked up to see two tall dark haired gentlemen approach him.

"I take it that you two are the ones I have to thank for my freedom?" Cayden asked as the two men sat down on the opposite side of the booth from him.

"Yes. My name is Kane Wolfman." Kane said.

"Also known as Joe Wilson. I'm assuming that this is your brother Grant." Cayden said.

"How do you know that?" Grant asked.

"I make it my business to know shady and despicable characters. They could come in handy." Cayden said.

"Fair enough." Kane said.

"So, can I ask why you helped me escape?" Cayden asked.

"Unfortunately, it was because we knew Argus would never tell you." Kane said.

"Tell me what?" Cayden asked.

"Mr. James, I'm sorry, but a few days before we liberated you, your son Owen Post was killed."Grant said.

"What?" Cayden asked, desperately hoping it wasn't true.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. Here's proof." Kane said as he showed Cayden the video.

"This looks like." Cayden said.

"Like your son was collateral damage in a fight with the Green Arrow." Grant said.

"And he will pay dearly for it." Cayden said.

"We'll help you in any way that we can." Grant said.

"Thank you, but if you'll excuse me, I have to go." Cayden said as he got up and left, not seeing the identical grins on the brothers' faces.

"Phase one complete. We won't even need to lift a finger." Kane said.

"Time to move on to Phase two." Grant said.

"This will be fun." Kane said with a grin.


	183. Epilogue

**Sorry everyone, but this actually going to be the last chapter of Destiny Rewritten. I'm so proud of this story, since it's by far my longest one yet, but I'm out of ideas for it. Thank you for all your support on this story and please enjoy this epilogue, I hope it satisfies you.**

* * *

Stopping Cayden James had actually turned out to be easier than Oliver expected since once Winn had tracked Cayden down, Oliver was actually able to talk some sense into him, since he remembered Cayden saying that he placed his trust in data and Oliver asked him to actually check the data and Cayden quickly realized that Oliver was right, since he found proof that the video footage had been altered and on the condition that Oliver put down whoever really was responsible for his son's death, he'd surrender himself willingly, which Oliver had agreed to.

The search led him to none other than both Slade's kids, who Oliver found were both as dicks as their father had once been. It had been a tough battle, but in the end, Team Arrow won and put both Joe and Grant back on Lian Yu where they belonged.

It had been 10 years since then and Oliver still couldn't believe how much things had changed for him. For everyone.

Oliver had managed to keep his and his whole team's identity secret this time around and he'd actually been able to hang up his 2 years ago, since thanks to Quentin, Roy and Thea, the SCPD was no longer the corrupt police force it had been and thanks to Laurel's initiatives as mayor, the entire city, including the glades had been united.

Even after Team Arrow hung up their masks, it felt like Star City had entered a new era. Crime was down and the city was united, it actually felt like a safe place to live and raise a family, which they were all doing now.

Oliver and Laurel continued to raise Jasmine in Star City, which was now the kind of city they wanted to raise their daughter in when Jasmine was four, they had another daughter Mia, who they loved as much as Jasmine. After her first term as mayor came to an end, Laurel was reelected back into office with an overwhelming majority of the votes. When her second term came to an end, the people actually tried to amend Star City constitution to get her to stay in power longer, but instead, Laurel chose to return to her work as a lawyer and her wonderful husband actually helped her launch her own law firm, which she named Canary Law.

John remarried Lyla and after Team Arrow officially disbanded, he went to work for Argus full time and eventually became it's new deputy director. They eventually had twins, John Jr. and Sara Diggle.

Roy and Thea continued to serve the city as officers of the SCPD and when Quentin was promoted to being chief of police, he chose Roy to be his successor as the department's captain. They had a daughter together, Lian, who is now 6 years old and was basically Jasmine's best friend, despite there being a two year age difference between them.

Winn founded his own company, Schott Tech Security systems, which remained a subsidiary of Queen Consolidated, but he quickly made his mark on the world. He also soon developed feelings for Emiko, who reciprocated them and they got married about a year ago.

Oliver smiled as he reflected on everything that had happened and he couldn't but silently thank the monitor for giving him this second chance at life. He wouldn't trade it for anything.

* * *

 **Well, that's it for Destiny Rewritten. Thank you all again for sticking around this long and I will have a new project up soon. Hope this epilogue was to everyone's liking and I'm sorry to those who were hoping for more, but I've been working on this story for nearly a year and I've just lost my drive for it.**

 **Lauriverfanboy1 out!**


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